One last post, and we'll try to move beyond Cabaret

The Weekend in Bullets just keeps giving:

* A marketing test is not the best way to start the weekend.

* Going all student ambassador-like on someone who's visiting a theatre class (Hey, Alex!) and bonding over feather boa collections totally is.

* Also a good option: getting asked to stage manage a show...and asked about feelings toward sushi in the same breath.

* That phone call from the Muny was that much sweeter because the guy kept saying "No worries" like the turtle from Finding Nemo.

* Amanda! String Cheese! I don't think she can hear you.

* Siblings are fun to show off to all your friends.

* Matching Harry Potter band-aids are a fashion statement, yo.

* Last night of Cabaret: an apropo feather boa, chocolate for all the ushers, twenty-six additional people off the waiting list, and six parents and ticket holders showing up after the show started. Friday was not the night to be the house manager.

* On the other hand, I was one foot away from the St. Louis Schweigingle (sp?) man for three minutes and didn't even realize it until later.

* Tour days are just less fun all the time. Ask me questions, dang it!

* A morning spent with applications, accounting, and throwing pillows at people's head balances out more than you'd originally picture.

* Look for Melissa and myself featured in the Index's Peeps article, sometime soon.

* My brother is wonderful because he'll sit through Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights without complaining or even mocking back much.

* I request that we take over a quarter of Bellaccino's more often, even if only to get me better access to pizza grinders and such.

* Falling asleep while everyone else plays Settlers (and one player declares Jihad on those who stood against him): slightly embarrassing...but hey, then I was asleep and didn't care.

* Falling asleep in Satchmo, however, is a wonderful experience as he makes the best squishy mattress you will ever find, and we should almost have that many people in our room slumber-party style again just for that.

* If the stage manager for my show arrived to rehearsal after the last [five minute late] actor did, I'd be beyond ticked at this moment. Although, maybe I'd be used to it by now, since she's done so every rehearsal she's been able to attend so far. (Somewhere in there I stopped simply supposing; you can probably pick it out.)

* I'm apparently a lamp now. Go ahead, clap twice: I get brighter!

* Root beer flavored Dum-Dum suckers: not a real substitute for root beer or any other carbonated beverage.

* I swear, if whoever's thinking about me at this moment and thus making my nose itch doesn't stop it, I'm going to track him/her down and punch them in the nose.

* Is that actually thunder outside? Because, dude nothing spells the true beginning of spring like a spot of electricity and water mixing where I'm walking. (And I totally mean that in the best, non-sarcastic way possible.)

Thinking back on it...

When you weren't the first person I wanted to rush and tell about my Muny interview, just to share the excitement with you and have you proud of me, that's when I realized I was over you.

"Here, life is beautiful!"

Am I even allowed to complain if I come back from Cabaret and end up listening to the cast album? I mean, then it's my own confounded fault that the songs are in my head.

Caleb, bring homework.

I started off the morning hoping that the dead bird I passed on the quad would throw my dead squirrel = good omen thing branch out to include all mammals, but instead it only seems to be a sign of increasing my workload pre-break. Bleck.



* Edited to say: yes, I know birds aren't mammals. I'm glad that we're focusing on the important things here.

Shall we just refer to this entire section as the "Cabaret Days" and be done with it?

More fun that projecting over all the other crew people inside the theatre to start the usher meeting? Projecting over the entire audience in the incredibly echo-y lobby to find the owner of the lost cellphone. Nothing gains you respect in a theatre department than being five feet tall and louder than everyone else combined.

I want to stop answering the phone

"Yeah, my name's on a waiting list for tonight, and I was just wondering if I'd gotten a ticket yet?"

Some people are annoying. Some people are cup people.


(Yes, I realize it's not a completely accurate comparisson, but still...)

"Okay....okay...uh-huh..."

I just got griped at by someone who didn't get to buy a ticket for Cabaret due to totally sold-out-ness, who felt that reserves were unfair because "what's to stop somebody from saying 'I'd like fifteen seats together, and I'll pay for them in two weeks?'" I tried to explain that we don't let people do such things because most reserves are for people we know who only wanted two seats, and we've still be calling people to remind them to pay and whatnot, but he just seemed to think it was completely unfair for people to reserve a seat for their parents two weeks in advance.

He was promptly followed by someone picking up her reserved seats, who made me feel better about life, as she was giddy that she'd had the foresight to do so last Thursday. Ah, balance.

A sure way to snark me for most of the morning: when you tell me "sorry," make sure to say in a tone that implies not only are you not sorry, but you actually think I had it coming and I'm also ugly.

Anyway.

So, after a rough start to the morning from trying to get someone at the Muny and running into the above, I ran into some snow (which is always a perk) and the best perk of all: a completely sold-out week worth of show. Yes, all week. Yes, there's now a waiting list. It's going to be interesting selling tickets tonight, since I'll have all the nice people who have reserved and all the late people who are hoping the reserve people don't show up. It'll be spiffy.

Plus, we gave someone a theme song [not me, sadly] at lunch and proceeded to sing snippets every time someone talked to him, which is always a great way to do anything.

I'll never tell you what I do on Saturday*

But I'll aparently show you what happens on Sunday.


Melissa's new hair, as of this afternoon (thanks, Locks for Love!)...though I could also hit you up with links to pics of my foot, etc, or an amusing little video that takes too long to download for the 13 seconds of fun. 


*also, we all know from the past that this claim is totally not true.

MSN Name: *Hannah's* life is a cabaret, old chum

I'm in the box office, which is basically normal (I believe my voicemail directs people to call for me here before searching elsewhere), except that an actual run is going on over behind that door to the left. From what I can hear, we're up to the signature/title/most famous song; a plus, as then I leave and then I can finally get that lunch thing I adore so much.

Anyway, the show's been going well (I watched the first half, but I needed to do some email stuff...thus now) and we haven't had any major catastrophes. I did get to give away some reserved seats, but that's not big. I also helped someone find his hat, and that was fun.

My big beef is that I don't know what to do most of the time. I mean, I have a general idea of what's going on, but I don't know if I'm supposed to make ushers stay, count up the house [we're sold out plus two today, for the record], or stalk around and make sure there are no more donut ladies. Everyone seems to think that I'm staying through the entire show, each night, full stop, but I know most of them also know that I'm working ASM on the lab show. I can't be in both places at once, yet there's stuff I get to do after intermission, and I have to stay about two scenes in at the beginning by the time I finish basic duties.

Sigh. Anyway, Sally's about to finish her big number, and I should try to send that email again.

Because I might as well do it before I forget something and/or Merv eats it (like the past two weeks...did you know I was in a car accident two weeks ago?)

The Weekend-So-Far in Bullets, Because the Title Was Already Long:

* Who's starting her weekend Friday afternoon in the box office, calling slackers who haven't picked up their tickets yet? Oh, that would be Ms. Hannah Moneypenny, my inner secretary.

* Facebook is evil. And addictive. Confound it for both! (And then let me join a few more groups...)

* The Notebook is just as sad the second time around, even if you aren't sticking yourself in a mini personal "crisis" (if that) while watching.

* What did I do on my first night off from a theatre practice in a week? Go to someone else's rehearsal, of course!

* Need people to fold programs? Talk to me, and I'll hook you up with half a dozen ushers who thought they were just staying to watch "Cabaret" for free and instead got to fold about a thousand programs for the coming week of shows.

* Also, thank you theatre practice for granting me another banterer on the usher list, so I never get bored while we're standing around or trying to be productive or whatnot.

* The next time I tell myself that of course I won't fall asleep, I'm on the floor, please someone remind me that--given the right level of exhaustion--that doesn't make a difference.

* Accounting first thing in the morning isn't heinous as long as it makes sense and doesn't make me feel stupid in any manner.

* My ushers like it when you bring them food. This is perhaps the best way to make friends, short of paying $250+ for a sorority membership, and it also helps you cut down your meal plans.

* Who's the house manager chick who goes from asking the jazz fest people to check their volume in the lobby to fake insulting an usher to asking a patron to take her coffee and donuts outside the theatre to "flirting" with a Kit Kat Klub boy? The same girl who tripped over air during intermission.

* Apparently a camel trumps a moose, but Johnny Depp riding a moose trumps a regular camel. This really requires no thought.

* New fun game: enter Hannah's room [while Melissa's asleep or just not there] and wait to see how long it takes before she notices your there over the volume pumping through her headphones. Hours of enjoyment!

* Oil pastels taste gross, though in my defense, I forgot it was on my fingers.

* I'm wearing the sequined cat ears and listening to "Moulin Rouge," so it must be a good Saturday.

Overnight guests rock my socks off

There's a sleeping Tiffani on my floor.

Plus, they have really squishy chairs!

For all those interested, a Wal-Mart vision center eye exam costs between $70-$90 (probably before insurance, since I didn't ask), and then they'll fit me with a trial pair that would probably last me the length of make-up class.

Thoughts?

She's had some sleep

Melissa: I don't know if I'm going to go work out, I may just stand here and look at the pretties.

Melissa, to the snow: Don't keep falling, you'll just die at the bottom!

Tour in an Hour

I just looked out the window, and it's pouring down with fluffy snowflakes that will be fun to walk through, unless you're from out of town and didn't expect such things.

Never more to roam

Merv, my darling, is back once more on my desk (though he's now more "hard drive on mini-desk, monitor on big person desk" since I grew addicted to all the space), filled with all manner of free spyware deleting gizmos from the ITS people, that I may actually have to thank them for a job well done [for once].

Unfortunately, those same programs keep popping up to warn me that I changed my own start page [freshman year] and did I really mean it check yes or no. Also, I'm now no longer used to my insert-home-page up-delete-end-page down keys, since the ones downstairs are turned sideways (two columns of three) and I finally stopped deleting things when I meant to go to the end.

I sadly have no time to mess with Merv tonight (beyond the possible cranking of some tunes), but it's nice just having him around, purring while the Microsoft AnitSpyware continues to search my hard drive because "oh, golly, you use the internet? What are you trying to do: poison me?!"

Baby Mine

Two seconds after I finish this, I'm going back upstairs to take my baby computer over to McClain and the [hopefully] helpful people at the ITS desk. I'm not especially happy about this (even more so because apparently if I had any computer knowledge, I could fix it myself), but then I won't have to clog the computer lab quite so much and I might stop playing pinball so often.

It's not quite one yet and I already feel a bit overstretched for the day (I forgot to print out a paper for class and had to run around and find a free computer; Melissa's been stressed over a collection of projects, papers, and presentations; I'm supposed to ASM the lab show now, but it may actually conflict with house managing Cabaret and I never remember until after I signed the cast/crew list; etc.), so I'll probably treat myself to unhealthy food on my way back from leaving Merv in other people's hands. I know that I'll have to deal with that play left to read and JINS homework to jingle out and a general need to chill out and stop using phrases like "jingle out," but I'm hoping that at least Merv will soon come home.

My JINS class is in a computer lab today.

So, I need to suck it up and take Merv to ITS for a computer exorcism, because I don't know what's wrong with him anymore. I have things I need to type tonight (box office was too busy), but then there's really no reason....except that it'll be the weekend and ITS isn't open then. So, I actually probably be without internet until Monday, without computer through Wednesday (hopefully not longer), and then perhaps my life will continue back to normal.

No, I'm still not back online.

When you're in a hurry, there are few things better than the ability to type quickly and with supreme accuracy. Especially when going for adjectives like "supreme."

Just so you know

My internet has gone completely screwy, so I don't know when I'll post again, let alone when I'll find the time to redo my Weekend in Bullets Returns post from last night that was eaten as a midnight snack by Merv. Have a good month everyone, it might take that long.

The boys are missing out this V-Day

Three reasons:

* I'm apparently partial to lists right now, and I'm sure many other sophisticated ladies were in the past.

* I'm listening to Beethoven and Billie Holiday while eating my extra-butter popcon, a certain way to class up snack food.

* I've been typing one-handed all along, and no major slips yet.

Hannah is...

* upset that her stomach is gurgly, even though she totally keeps eating food

* listening to Billy Joel ("Only the Good Die Young," her 20th birthday song)

* impressed with her new archive feature that she noticed while linking

* avoiding Tuesday's homework because tomorrow is Monday

* stylish with her hair pulled back by a clothespin

* high off brownies, especially after accidentally snorting powdered sugar up her nose

* apparently date-able, as she might've been asked out this evening

* balancing a hot pillow filled with feed corn (really) on her sore neck

* about to continue deleting things off her overly-stuffed Merv

"To tell your representatives..."

I love it when my phone card goes all political, except that I have to sit through it before it will dial.

Cracking the book open for the first time

Whoever owned and wrote all over my marketing book prior to myself had handwriting just like my mother.

"It'd be nice if I could actually see them, though"

Somewhere around week seven in make-up class, I'm going to finally be fed up enough with trying to do everything blurry, that I'll bike* to the Wal-Mart vision center and buy contacts.


*Hopefully, this will be in March by then, otherwise I might freeze on the way over.

(I should be studying Accounting right now, but instead I'm about to eat some cold chicken tenders.)

First song in my head this morning: Wilco's "My Darling," with the prophetic (or not) first line "Go back to sleep now/my darling." If I didn't have a test in about fifteen minutes, I'd probably obey.

Watching "Gilmore Girls"

ME: Hey, let's grow up and turn into Sookie and Lorelai! I call dibs on marrying the vegetable man.
MELISSA: [laughs hysterically] But I don't want to get pregnant before I graduate!
ME: Hey, you've already passed sixteen; you'll just be the cool Lorelai.
MELISSA: Okay then.

Continuity, or How Do I Remember All This?

Following in the apparent tradition of last Sunday, when I had that great dream about being engaged to Johnny Depp and had that diamond ring that could've flattened small mammals (not that I posted about it, though that would've been a great place to link if I had), last night I dreamed myself into what could be described as "The Bourne Identity, 3.0."

The gist of what I remember is that I knew he was someone named Jason Bourne, but Matt Damon totally hadn't told me about all the running, chasing, killing, etc attached to the name. There was a great reveal scene where he was telling me about his life and how dangerous it was for me to be dating him.

Sample dialogue: "You should get out of here now, while they still don't know about you. I don't want to wait until they kill us both at 3 a.m. some morning!"
"Then they'll kill us at 3 a.m. At least we'll be together!"
[middle of the street hugging/macking session, followed by ducking from bullet fire]

Personally, I think it would make a great next movie, though it probably didn't follow the next book in the series and they seem to have a thing about doing that. If nothing else, it beats the other dream I had, finishing off another dream from earlier in the week. This time I finished the JINS homework I started [dreamwise] last Tuesday. My subconscious apparently like to keep things themed.

Still Watching

Why am I not recaping this? I skipped the [boring] Globes, so why not this?

Oh, yeah: because I'm burning CDs and probably about ten minutes from breaking out my stage make-up and practicing my wrinkles.


---

AHH! Jim Cummings! [Tigger, for the uninformed] "I'm thesping my little heart out here!"

---

That Cynthia Nixon has some scary looking teeth.

---

I love playing the "Why'd They Pick Them to Present?" game with the lifetime achievement awards. Mel Gibson was easy (Maverick), but it took the final clip cycle and some IMDb-ness to pull out the Julie Andrews connections.

---

I'm already crying over Jerry Orbach's win, and his widow hasn't even made it up to the stage yet.

Watching the SAG Awards

That whole "..and I'm an actor" thing kinda gives me hope for the industry I'm going into, except that I'm a techie and not an actress. (Hey! Jennifer Garner was a theatre techie! I don't necessarily want to mack on Ben Affleck, but I'd take just about everything else.)

Dear Kraft,

Please stop insulting my itelligence with your Easy Mac packaging. Just because I'm not springing for an entire box of the "regular" Mac and Cheese, don't assume that I need you to tell me which package to open first. I'd like to think we college students (one of your target markets, to cite a business class) understand you need to cook the noodles prior to pouring on the cheese powder.

Keep up the good work,

Hannah

Georgia on My Mind

I'm freshly back from the free showing of "Ray" and I'm a little underwhelmed. Jamie Foxx was just as fab as everyone's been saying (though, I personally thought I might've enjoyed him even more if I hadn't come to the thing expecting him to meet expectations that he did meet...if that makes sense to anyone except me). I didn't care for some of the directing choices (yes, I know he's kicking a heroin addiction; that doesn't mean you need to overdo the spinny camera), and that dream thing took me out of the whole movie. The music--the main attraction, if you will--was beyond amazing and makes me want to put "Mess Around" on rotate for the rest of the night. Besides, there's nothing like seeing a movie with the entire row behind you filled with what looks to be most of the Truman black linebackers making comments about the music like they've had seven years of band. Priceless, just like my admission.

Liebschen

My Mom is awesome because she sends me emails that briefly mention German words and then the p.s. at the end is all over the earlier mention that I hadn't really picked up on until then, supposing about the accuracy of the spelling, as if I would know.

Yeah, I know I don't usually go political...

Taken from IMDB:

On the subject of Gibson's [The Passion of the Christ], Moore tells Vanity Fair he was disturbed at, "How easily the vulnerable can be manipulated, twisted by images on the screen."

Gee, like when people see any movie (or play or TV show or whatever), and then--based on the facts they see--believe something and possibly even act on that belief? I mean, you wouldn't want that at all, would you Mr. Moore?

You can't fall asleep? Inconcivable!

I was, not five minutes (okay, maybe ten - I just popped in "The Princess Bride" because Melissa can't sleep, either), curling up under my covers, squishing down into my not-so-squishy pillow to fall asleep for the night.

It obviously didn't happen.

The moment I closed my eyes, my brain started racing around; analyzing the day, thinking about stuff that'd been said, and basically working out everything that had happened recently. Not the most conduitive environment for sleepy time, huh?

The problem with my sleep habits is I have to be exhaused before I go to bed or I won't fall asleep for ages. My brain picks that up as the perfect time to sort through things because, I imagine, it's one of the few times during the day/night that I'm not fluttering around, actually busy/productive with life activities. Just like how I used to practice acting scene lines in the shower, it's one of the few places where my head catches up with the rest of me once everything else is stuck for a bit.

So, here I am at the moment. I'm still not tired enough to actually fall asleep (I blame not getting to bed before one a.m. all week for that one), but I might see what happens when I crawl up in bed again and have the movie to focus on instead.

Good night, room.

"Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps si, me ciento bien"

It probably wouldn't be half as amusing if the two didn't line up so well, but currently Cake's "Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps" playing on my side of Merv is mixing with Melissa's Spanish tapedeck running through exercises and creating the next great remix.

Why am I still awake?

Oh, because I took a twenty minute nap that almost lasted two hours. Right.

In other news, Cubis has become my newest game obsession (though my mouse doesn't seem to like it at times). I still love the smell of my oil pastel crayons for JINS, though I don't think I've mentioned it here before, even if I still have issues with some of the rest of the class. In a further move to make Annie love me more (though picking up Farscape for Caleb was nearly enough to send her over the edge), I'm applying to join Sigma Tau Delta, the national honorary English fraternity. Apparently I like Greek leters.

Also, you don't realize how jealous you are, but you should be as only one person I know has a pack of specially manufactured Ryle 315 Trading Cards (featuring "Awesome Pancakes Melissa" and "Typewriter Hannah," among other things). Art projects will always trump accounting class.

Return of the sequin cat ears!

Quick (because it's almost one a.m., though I'm not sleepy) reflections from the past weekend.

* The next time someone asks me to help them out with a film...I'll probably say yes again. But I'll think harder about it that time.

* I just realized I still had some lemonade left in the Minute Maid can, and it really doesn't hold up after sitting out and open for a couple hours.

* New art project: friend trading cards!

* An ecclectic music lover like myself shouldn't be allowed to (1) swap CDs with friends to listen to new artists, (2) be in charge of the CD player, (3) or pull up the school library's entire listing of sound recordings. I did all three.

* I've had Ben Folds/Rufus Wainwright's version of "Careless Whisper" (yes, the Wham! classic) on virtual repeat since I found it this afternoon, because it's that cool.

* Those microwave bacon cookers that let the grease drip off don't work well. But the grease does drip off all disgusting-like.

* Sometimes I have to wonder if I would go to the same extents for other people (and not just certain ones) before I can regain my balance in the world.

* When you see the light, remember to duck...and cover!

"It's SNOWING?!"

It took absolutely all my exhaustion not to go spinning around outside this morning at 4 a.m. when I woke up randomly and was told by the people still in my room that the the snow was absolutely coming down.

Apparently I need to get out more

Anybody want to hear my tentative schedule for Fall 2005?

Senior Theatre Seminar, MW 2:30-3:20
Logic, MWF 3:30-4:20
Intro to Financial Management, TTh 9:00-10:20
Biology, TTh 10:30-11:50 (with Friday lab)
Directing, TTh 1:30-2:50

It's only fourteen hours, but I only have four classes left after that, so there's not much finangling I can do. Also of note: the logic class knocks out marching band for the season, so I might end up changing that depending on future internships.

Speaking of internships: I just found a great little theatre in Pennsylvania with all sorts of employment opportunities. Discuss.

"I'm going down/she's coming up."

I'm only a minute into the song, but I totally want to see a movie somewhere use Florida's "The Girl on the Escalator," because it's just crying out for some widespread fame...and a scene on an escalator.

Blame it on the Strawberry Soda and Course Catalogs

After a brief encounter with the most recent major degree worksheets for theatre (unchanged) and English (so very changed in my favor), it has come to my attention that I'm apparently 27 credits from graduating with both majors and the minor.

Twenty-seven.

That's thirteen credits one semester and a rousing fourteen the other.

My first thought when I realized all this new math? I completely tried to work in a third major, or at least a second minor. (Apparently high school Hannah is still alive and well somewhere inside me, which will probably help me out in the long run.) Barring that, I worked out the math to receive general honors from Truman. It'd only add an extra six hours (and third class could double up on my LSP), so it wouldn't add much. However, the late hour and my better senses finally caught up with me, and--barring taking some class over an interm sometime--I'm probably going to just chill out next year and fill myself up with extracurriculars.

Meaning, movies and junk food, but who's counting?

Do you believe in coincidences?

In what could have just been a bad day for bananas (my JINS class began with two friends comparing banana horror stories from the dorms; one of which had me picturing equal parts the tarantula puppet from Harry Belafonte on the Muppet Show and that time all the baby spiders "hatched" in Caleb's room), ended up just being a banana day when the random 5+ foot stuffed banana popped into our doorway and then quickly disappeared again.

Kitty's purrrfect!

It saddens me on some level that I ever became too cynical to always enjoy the Family Circus comic.

Everybody's got the right to be happy

I was starting to get into my Saturday night on my own (most everyone else went out to a club for some dancing and such) until I realized I was listening to the "Assassins" soundtrack sing about psychotic loners while I sat on my own on Saturday night.

I think I'm going to watch a movie.

"Don't you get up in my Kool-Aid!"

Though you never really expect quality from a movie purely made to capitalize off a Kirsten Dunst throw-off, "Bring it On Again" managed to pull some enjoyable moments (and lots of why-don't-we-have-popcorn-to-throw-at-the-screen? times). If nothing else, there was enough "what does that even *mean?*" going on [see: post title].

Additionally, deciding to go it mute for a portion of the evening, even while continuing to hold conversations with people, definitely becomes its own reward.

Later

...so what do I do to fix that? Go on eBay and search up typewriters, naturally.

*brrrrwing!*

Part of me wants to hole up in a cave somewhere for awhile, just to get away from all the various messenger flashy boxes that keep popping up on my screen with friends needing help that they can only get from me, but then there's the part that just doesn't want to think about Accounting anymore.

Sort of in time for my birthday!

Scrubs is finally coming to DVD!!!

Dorm Sweet Dorm

Things are settled in again (which means that everything is basically unpacked and I have homework; thus, cue blogging!) in Truman land. Melissa and I [and random cohorts] moved furniture around on Monday afternoon and it's amazing how much space suddenly appeared with the magic shifting of beds. My desk shifted down the wall and I'm sometimes nervous I'll accidently unplug the entire powerbar (and Merv with it), but I haven't lost any computer stuff yet. I'm planning on overhauling my side of the closet this weekend to try and fit in all the new food, but I don't feel like dealing with it before then.

Going to Bed........Soon

But first, because Caleb wanted me to post that I was alive in Kirksville, I'm telling you all [note the lack of "y'all"] that I'm alive and in Kirksville.

But the live version was over in Randolph 1

I must regretfully announce that the annual Golden Globes post (AKA - Always the Longest Thing I Do) is canceled this year as (1) I didn't take notes while I was watching, because (2) I was over at the Apartment (3) drinking down lots of sparkling grape juice which made me (4) entirely too hyper. Plus, we didn't really pay much attention to things, as Krista had Egypt stories to tell and Annie kept marveling over the fact that I'm now into Farscape. ("You're a SCAPER!")

I will say that there was much mocking of Glenn Close's outfit and drooling over Johnny Depp, like usual. Well, "like usual" for Johnny Depp, but hopefully you got that. I'd give minor opinions over movies that won/lost/etc, but I haven't seen anything that's getting awards (National Treasure doesn't make many "best of" lists). I will say that I'm sure if I'm annoyed or charmed by Jamie Foxx's crowd participation chant thing.

[Re: Last Years Confessions]

So, to hit from the previous year first, Spice Girl's "Wannabe" show up an alarming number of times during the fall semester...possibly because the story behind it came out one night and my friends are nothing if not trivia rememberers.

Anyway. I still haven't made it to any non-Missouri theatre yet, though when I confessed it last year I was hoping that would give weight to the London or New York trips (depending on who was going to be free). Oh well.

I did, however, manage to grab a University Swingers meeting once where I learned a basic swing step and how to spin in and out of said step. It helps if your partner can actually swing you out, but that's not completely necessary.

Acting II helped my get over the Lady Macbeth thing ["Finally!" says the world.] by letting me play all sorts of roles no one would actually cast me in out in real life. Plus, during the past year I transitioned even further from acting to tech: a decision that continues to be a blessing.

I haven't heard anything about death glares for awhile; maybe people were making them up. I do now obsess over music all the time, as opposed to just when I had the time.

Because it's just what you do at the end of the year

*The Best, etc. of 2004*

Best time: early May

Worst time: late June-early July

Favorite movie (theatre): Big Fish [there with Caleb, mostly empty theatre, perfection]

Favorite movie (not): Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [that's what I needed that day], and both Kill Bill movies [watched straight in a row, with only a short manatee break]

Favorite CD (forgot about): Into the Woods soundtrack

Favorite CD (new): Evita, complete movie soundtrack

Favorite book: The Princess Bride (Good Parts version)

Favorite play: Cherish, from the one-acts (bless you Katie Rose)

Favorite compliment: [tie] a professor complimented my teeth early in the year, which is its own kind of special, but I can't forget the old friend who hadn't seen me since eighth grade who told me I'd "grown up good"

Favorite insult: "Some of us pass second grade and get over it" from Adam, about English majors

Best live show: 4nd Street at the Muny (I'm a sucker for tap dancing)

Worst idea: eating the entire bag of Tootsie Rolls in about two hours while already highly stressed

Somg of the summer: Big Sky's "David Bowie"

New helpful skills: sewing, carving foam, sort of curling hair

Theme for the new year: [still undecided]

So, it's been a year. (Why, yes! 2004 did end somewhere after finals, birthday parties, minor scrapbooking tornadoes, and Iowa/KC/Iowa trips, though you wouldn't know all that from the blog that stopped blogging.)

All in all, I can't complain about my 2004. I started the year with theatre ("RENT" in January), became a friend's class project, broke out the duct tape clothing again, chopped off all sorts of hair, did my first mainstage, and ended the semester with dancing and friend chicken (though not at the same time).

Summer felt even busier than college could throw at me; between dealing with irate customers on the weekend and every biting/itch-causing critter the rest of the week, I would've preferred papers. (Long papers.) As much as driving in circles got old, I now have two too many stories featuring a car stuck in places, spent a ... week in the woods [I keep flipping on the adjective for that one], and--if nothing else--I culled together a download list that will hold me for months. And Wal-Mart customers--on the whole--are still idiots, though not enough to make me give up my discount.

The most recent semester? Frankly, it's felt (sometimes uncomfortably) like the parents-less version of my high school junior year. I've seen uneasiness about both my major and future, loading up on the side of "too busy," and more than a fair share of romantic intrigue. (Plus, sewing!) Sometimes it's been hard to remain positive, and not just with the mini fiasco of "Virtually Somebody"--you try feeling cheerful when sewing netting at 4 a.m. However, I've made my peace with not knowing the future, and I'm still surrounded by the people who were there for dancing and chicken. Between those two, I'll survive the rest of the year.

Enough of that. On to Confessions: just embarrassing enough to tell, but inocuous enough even my Mom can read them.

* infomercials rock my socks off, even if that are merely one step up from slow-mo sequences in "Walker, Texas Ranger" on the cheese level.

* I watch "Lizzie Maguire" voluntarily, especially when people aren't around to mock me.

* Although my main personality is a jeans and t-shirt girl, I have a blooming "pretty pretty princess" side.

* I've started carrying my passport around in my purse (a la "While You Were Sleeping") in case I ever get a chance to leave the country quickly.

* I have issues falling asleep at college when Melissa's not there, leading to a need for some sort of background noise (often more "Lizzie").

Yeah, they're kinda soft this year, but deal. I'm just happy to get things posted again.

Just try and beat it!

First Christmas card of the season appeared on the doorstep today, and I already knew nobody could top when the first sentence ended with "and are indirectly responsible for making my mom smile several times." I love David so much.

Because I keep you informed about nearly everything, and I'm sick of studying

New favorite sad song: "Vienna" by Billy Joel

"I have a new nickname for you too," or Why am I still awake?

The show was fab, I have too much caffeine dying out of my system, Julia did her awful nothing-but-adjectives line perfectly, I wasn't the show with the door that wouldn't open or the sound cue that went screwy, my eyes were complimented twice, I have two dates in the future (but only if I'm wrong and reincarnation actually happens - so doubtful), and I'm not in bed yet, but will be in about thirty seconds.

Paging Ms. Fye!

Two things that just came out of my mouth:

* The MLA rules all!

And
* Boo to you, I love the MLA!

Running Commentary

notes from the marathon writing of my ten page research paper for hist and lit:

* It would help to start typing.

* I swear, if this wasn't a major class (and I really, really didn't want to take the final), I'd just skip writing this paper and start studying for the final.

* Three pages of the wall reliefs originally illustrating my play probably can't count in the page limit, huh?

* Heaven help me, I just referenced Mamet's Oleanna, the play I've probably had the most violent reaction to in my life (as in, if I'd been reading a version of it instead of watching the movie, I probably would have thrown it out a window AND set it on fire)

* I just coughed so hard, two books almost fell off Melissa's bed!

* Block quotes are so entirely my friend.

* Typed in when I was about to leave for Wal-Mart: "Feel free to write yourself while I’m gone. We’re ready to hit stuff about Horus as the king and vis versa, so go to it. Thanks, Microsoft Word."

* (back from Wal-Mart) C'mon, what's wrong with you Word? I thought we had a deal!

* Go-Go boots, though fun to wear while walking around campus, are obnoxious after sitting in a chair for awhile.

* One of these times, leaning back in the chair, I'm not going to catch myself and I'll end up with a concusion or worse.

* Not words: participlate, diety, and Steindorff (at least, if you ask me)

* I chew a disgusting amount of gum while working on papers.

* And I totally just added "Notting Hill" into my paper on Egyptian theatre. This is the best/worst paper ever!

* Ah, font! My favorite thing to screw around with...especially when I'm desperate.

* Scariest thing in the world: the full nine pages disappearing before my eyes.

* Finished finished finished! ... and now to revise...

Breakfast of Champions

When you're the owner of the three pints of different ice cream flavors in the fridge, you can justify the "ice cream for breakfast" thing.

Today's healthy meal: butter pecan, strawberry, and Egyptian history.

It's the little things...like pins

I think, the more time that I've spent sewing (as in, the more time I've spent accidentally poking myself with sharp metal objects), the faster my blood flows to the surface when I get pricked.

Seven and a half

I just had a conversation about Happy Meals!

Why boys don't get to help

When you ask boys to hold the tape, they just stick pieces on your arm and then tape your slippers to your jeans and they will flop you with the garland and sometimes they act like they're going to throw the scissors at you from across the room even if they don't. Then you have to chase them down the hall and throw your slippers at them, but first they'll untangle the garland that's too high for you to reach.

-Hannah, apparently age seven

Just spun around the room

It's snowing! It's snowing! It's snowing!

But, she didn't even say she was leaving!

I'm back.

Falling asleep in traffic

At first I simply thought I was trying too hard to catch up on the sleep I lost last week, but now I think I'm just getting sick. Just in time for vacation!

Fringe Benefits

While they still hurt like anvils were dropped on each of my individual lower leg bones, muscles, etc, I do have to admit that my actual legs look really nice right now. If it wasn't Novemeber, I'd totally use this as an opportunity to wear something with a short skirt.

This is the picture of a girl who just figured out how to add photos to her blog instead of spending time studying for legal class. She's dead in more way than one. [from the mock accident thing] 

Tonight I regain my life. Really.

Until then...snapshots from the past week-ish (It's like the "Weekend in Bullets" plus the rest of the week!):

* [From the first night of the play, while "Dream the Impossible Dream" was playing] KEVIN: Hey, guys, let's do this tonight. ME: What, 'right the unrightable wrong?'

* When you reach the point that it's natural for your legs to hurt, that's when you need to finish your play.

* But it never gets old to show off bruises and other battle scars. I have a killer bruise/scrapped up section on my left leg from tripping over a large black block last night during photo call.

* ME: Repeat after me. Daniel. Ruben. *Stein*. Daniel. Rubenstein. Daniel Rubenstein. If you're going to taunt me with something, at least say the name right.

* Theatre game that never gets old, especially with new people: Donkey Says, Donkey Does.

* I've discovered that I like Hist and Lit better when I stop listening to all the background information that we're lectured at about (and then never use again) and plot out other things.

* Ooh! I have ice cream in the fridge!

* Good present in the mail: random travel brochures from an unknown source. Better present in the mail: random CD from an unknown band trying to get their music out by sending it to students off college directories. It wasn't to me, but I totally have a copy burned already.

* Bad idea: staying up until 8 a.m. to finish a costuming project. Good idea: finishing the costuming project. And sleeping.

* The sleep feature on the TV is my friend.

* BRENT, during [the 2 1/2 hour plus] photo call last night: I wish this was the Old Testament, you know, with all those geneology sections. 'Okay, guys, we've got the 12 Tribes of Israel part, let's skip ten pages.'

* It's never encouraging when your father knows more about London accommodations than you do, and you're the one trying to sell him on the trip.

* Apparently, I *can* write a research paper in half a day.

* Melissa's fun in her bitter, broken-up stage, when we get to plot awful things to do to Ben [they broke up, y'all]. Also, she bakes!

* I refuse to allow a stupid computer program [Excel] to act smarter than myself. Even if it isn't actually stupid and does even addition math better than I ever could.

* JOHN: The show was actually really good, even with all the warnings you had. But the puppets are still my favorite part. ME: You're not supposed to tell me that; that's not what we're trying to do. JOHN: Sorry.

* When you pull off an entire dress (with a $&*)Q@ ruffle and everything), and most of the rest of your class makes just a skirt, you don't have to worry about the grade anymore.

* It's taken me since my first show in high school, but I can finally do my own eyeliner. Correctly, in fact.

"All the birds sing words and the flowers croom"

Possibly the saddest part of my geography test today wasn't a lack of basic knowledge (like I feared when I didn't get to start studying until the end of rehearsal around 12:30-ish last night/morning), as I actualy feel pretty good about this test. No, it would be around question twenty-four when I used my back knowledge of Walt Disney World's Enchanted Tiki Room to figure out the weather patterns of the tropical rainforest. I figure the Imagineers must know something I couldn't remember at 9:30 this morning.

Maybe you've noticed I hardly talk about my first foray into the world of TSU Mainstages?

Quoting Rosie, one of the ASMs (and so much more), at rehearsal:

"Once upon a time, I wasted, no not wasted...well..."spent" a month on this play about videogames. And it almost drove me insane. But, it's over in a week, and that makes me happy."

And even better, between myself and Jared:

"She wants an old school stool."
"Nice. That was a good one."
"Actually, it was really pathetic and awful, but I had to say it anyway."
"No, no, that's the highlight of the night."
"That's just sad."
"And that's just an understatement."

Marching Band Quotes...Again

* I wish my real flute tasted like a pickle.

* The butter is chocolate!

* Saliva is God's way of saying, "Here, have some water."

* Are we going? Because my tattoo's not done yet.

* Number 11: Chocolate flavored butter.

* Number 1: The bus driver so *owned* that car.

* Showgirls, one; cheerleaders...nothing!

Since some time has passed...

I hate when I'm in a bad mood after rehearsal (like last night, and frankly after most of the practices we've had since the first week), because--in my world of How Theatre Should Work--that's not how things happen. When stuff is coming together and everything's getting done productively, I don't come home grouchy and put out and needing to not hang out with other human beings until I get past the petulent stage, but that's not where this show is yet (with slightly over a week to go), and that's fueling my mood lately. Plus, it doesn't help that, even after all these years, I still don't take criticism well (whatever it might be), and when you throw that in with everything else, no wonder I feel like burning my script.

On the positive side of the universe, we managed our first entire run-through last night (how many weeks again?), and Leroy [my puppet] has become quickly loved by the cast. Quote from Stacey: "Oh! He's made from chocolate bars and kittens and everything else good!"

Last Rehearsal of the Season

(and possibly my marching band career, but I say that every year, don't I?)

* Showgirl Cadence: can't get enough of it! - Jared, after playing it for the fifth time

* (After something quoteless yet really hilarious happened) Hannah! Draw that! - Megan

* You get to see another losing team. - Pete, the band director, about basketball pep band

Sweet dreams are made of these

I woke up this morning from a dream where I was packing for London and then didn't go to legal class. On the plus side, I did homework and finally folded my laundry that had been sitting in my hamper since Monday. Everything I'll wear for the next three weeks will have wrinkles. I sense a new fashion trend!

Mini Revelation: I've stopped being a writer just as I really needed to be one. Huh.

Where I Am Right Now:

* Sorry for not posting more (I kept telling myself I'd get the band trip report--featuring cops on two occassions, crowded elevators, a car wreck, and walking through the McDonald's drive-thru--out before anything else.)

* Bummed since registration went screwy and I couldn't get into the JINS class I liked above all the rest

* Ready to fly out to London at any moment, especially now that I've decided to run there over spring break and forget this summer

* Needing to talk to my parents about that (and to spit out my passport paperwork...Can I do that up here?)

* Excited about my puppet again (and puppets in general), though not the rest of the show, which seems to fall even more behind with each rehearsal

* Confused because of ... well, we'll call them "vibes" among my friends and additional comments that I don't feel like going into

* Happy and Satisfied to remain single, Thank You Very Much

* Preparing to start stage managing another one-act show involving lots of people that I already know and love to work with

* Busy, because would we really have it any other way?

College Equations Are Simple

lack of clothes = laundry day!

Because I have family that cares

New door opening on jkrowling.com!

(Wait for Peeves to show up)

In that order.

I just realized that I changed outfits four times today (not counting PJs, coming soon), and I hadn't posted in almost a week.

I love ya, ROTC, but...

Why on earth would you fire the cannon at 8:00 in the morning? Did you really need to scare the heebie-jeebies out of everyone and/or just me, which was enough as far as I'm concerned?

We'll miss your warmth

I understand that actions had to be taken after someone actually burned themselves off a bunch of concrete, but that doesn't mean I'm not upset to see my favorite patch of sidewalk disappear before I managed some quality warm sitting there this winter.

RIP Dobson hot spot.

It's in Mary Engelbright cherries, too

In case anyone was interested, I'm attempting the dress on the left.

Hey, batter batter!

Even better than actually watching the Cards game: listening to the people screaming down the hall and then checking to see what happened.

Just keeps on giving...

Unfortunately keeping the weekly quiz: "I still have to make you do something this week."

On the PowerPoint photo album: "That's me and my brother. He's single."

Not bringing the book: "I can't make you do email or anything."

And, at 10:54 a.m.: "I can't make you stay anyway." (And how, Bobbi, and how.)

Everyday should be cookie day

My computer aps professor (who is actually more of a graduate teaching assistant) passed her gigantic, scary CPA exam and is celebrating today by providing us with chocolate and cookies ("Don't tell anyone I let you eat in here"), no in-class assignment ("Today you get five points for celebrating with me - aren't you glad you came?"), and lots of quotage ("Even if the cookies are no good, just pretend you like them so you don't ruin my good mood.")

Mistake in my favor

Due to a re-examining of the hideous test I took in geography last week (the one where NO ONE received an A in either class and the professor couldn't figure out what happened), everyone was tossed a couple extra points, thus bumping my awful score into a not-as-bad B. Dude, I'll so take it.

Stick with the important facts

Surely everyone else has discovered the same thing Melissa keeps pointing out to me: I haven't posted in awhile. While I could resolve this by talking about the remaining unhappy feelings toward my became-all-day band practice on Friday (my "day off"), or all the movie watching I accomplished by Sunday night, or even the Saturday night card game that eventually dissolved into throwing individual not-for-resale bags of snack food at each other (until one exploded on contact with the wooden practice sword), I've instead decided to inform y'all that, not only have our patterns been approved and cut out, but Melissa and I both washed all our material last night (making all of it glitterfied from one larger piece) and all seven pieces are currently hanging ghetto-tastic style around our room, including on an improvised clothesline dividing 315 into triangles.

Why, of course I have pictures.

Across the hall and out of his mind

Random Compliment from David: You're so practical, you're like the Book of James!

This year, Hannah Smith will write a book!

Of all the scary things to happen on a Monday, not only was my project approved by the leadership board, but they also didn't have any additional changes or suggestions...which means I now have to remember all the criteria I told them (besides the whole "I'll write a book" part).

Hannah + only 4 hrs. sleep = disaster (but bouncy disaster)

I've been taken down by geography, a particularly sharp push pin, and the second floor flight of stairs today. It's probably a good thing I don't have stage combat practice tonight, or there might be some actual bloodshed in the theatre.

Is this the regret collection?

First "Somewhere That's Green," then "Feels Like Home," and now Evita's "You Must Love Me." I think my Broadway collection is seriously trying to tell me something.


Edited to add: "Sunrise, Sunset" ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

"You don't have to turn it in unless you're ready."

Best/Funniest part of Computer Aps today: the graduate student telling Brian (computer genius) that he didn't need to turn in the "so simple even the people who couldn't copy and paste understood it" PowerPoint assignment yet because he looked like he was still working on it.

You wanted the left side of the program

In one day, I was promoted to assistant puppet maker (the mini-story I told at auditions about once upon a time having a duck marionette and how [quote] "it was awesome" made its way around the department until Joan, the costume head, asked me about it after class yesterday) AND got cast in my first mainstage show. I'm making puppets, working on puppets, and tonight have more swordfighting lessons. I could hate the script (which I don't) and it would still be on this side of fabulousness.

Anyone want to practice parries?

...and Callbacks tonight

So, I've forced myself to wait before posting such news, seeing as--when I actually heard about it--I was hitting decibels that injure humans AND dogs.

I'm obviously a little excited.

I hear that there's a stage combat sequence everyone's learning tonight, so we'll all hope the one scene I've done such things for (choregraphed by the same person who's doing the show, interestingly enough) will provide enough basic knowledge that I can quickly figure out what's going on tonight.


[None of you can probably imagine the amount of hyper-kinetic energy I experienced last night, especially if you're simply basing it off all the above. Talk to Melissa and she'll tell you.]

Auditions in an hour...

I'm trying to decide whether I would feel better if I just threw up my lunch now, and got it out of my system, or if I should hang on to it because I'd feel worse if I was nervous on an empty stomach.

Chilly. Chilly, Chilly Kirksville.

I'm back once more in the not-so-sunny-but-it-is-night 'Ville, where I threw all my stuff on the floor and cleaned off my desk. Sorry, Melissa, I can't believe I left it like that.

Beyond that, I had a great time with Caleb (and so many other people whose names I won't remember for the next time that I pop by -- all apologies already!) and will need to post some photos when I get them developed. Because, dang, that room was clean.

Miss you and your rockin' shoes already, Caleb.

Unrelated: When did Gobstoppers get smaller?

As much as the universe keeps trying to keep me in Kirksville (box office needed extra hours today, the world-record attempt involving pillow fighting tomorrow, approaching midterms, etc), I'm leaving this arctic popsicle stand behind for the [possibly] sunnier Colubmia, MO, and my brother's dorm room.

Yes, he's even cleaning for me. Am I special or what? I'll see y'all on Sunday.

P.S. to Grandma

Yes, this weekend I also worked on putting together my Christmas list, and I'll zap it your way as soon as I decide what to put on it. Yes, this is a complicated process. I have to decide not only what I'll still want 2(+) months from now, but also what I can live without and not go running to the store for in the hopes that someone else will do it for me.

(No, I don't have an equation. At least, not one I would admit to in public.)

Update-ness Abounds!

Okay, so it's been awhile again. We all know what that means...

The (Whatever We're Taking it From to Now) in Bullets:

* When it ends up featuring a run downtown for various coffee-related beverages, all manner of snap stitching, and rhinestones and the "Princess Christi" song, there's no other way I wouldn't wanted to spend Friday afternoon/evening than those six hours in the costume shop.

* Have you seen "Kill Bill"? Because I have! And I love them both! And I will now talk to anyone in the world who has seen them about them and their wonderfulness! (Ooh - except for that eye!) !!!

* Extra reason to keep Melissa around: when I finally felt like crashing on Friday night, I couldn't fall asleep because it was entirely too quiet in the room. I ended up putting on "Lizzie Maguire" in an effort to provide enough ignorable noise to sleep.

* That didn't work and I watched half of Jimmy Fallon's biography on A&E. Did you know that his "goofiness and charm belies the seriousness underneath?"

* Saturday was Family Day, meaning I saw my parents, enjoyed talking with my parents, and ended up with lots of food. As of today, Wednesday, that last part is no longer an issue.

* (Not an update, but related: if any of y'all want one of the remaining famous carmel brownies, there are only three and I get one.)

* Megan + all sugar diet = frighteningly more hyper than myself

* Megan + fire = so scary I seriously did run away

* Not only did I spend Sunday with quality time in the library, I was also apparently still feeling the Hilary Duff love as I kept randomly searching out songs from her multiple (yes, multiple - how sad is that?) CDs. Feel free to mock me now.

* I've possibly been talked into doing a movie for a few friends, though I technically haven't said yes yet. I haven't said no, either, and that'll probably be a big sticking point.

* Currently: I'm sick, and I don't know why (though if you have similar symptoms, I'm so blaiming you), and I finally get to leave computer aps now, so I'll stop updating.