For those of you [my Mom] who loved "make sure we save Jesus and the kittens..."

We in the theatre biz don't always refer to actors with their real name, instead choosing to stick with the character name, even during everyday conversations. Sometimes, especially now during "Jesus Christ Superstar," this leads to sentences with a bit more pep than otherwise. Instead of using our title character's real name, Ryan, we have the following statements (all real, all unedited):

* Can you help Jesus find the coffee?

* It's Canada Day. Jesus told me.

* Jesus is looking for a yoga class while he's in Kansas City.

* Could you just hand this off to Jesus, whenever he's on a break or whatever?

* ...He's really cute. Do you think Jesus has a girlfriend? You should go ask him.

The d is apparently silent

My work day just started with one of the random operations guys telling me "You look tire." I assume the day will proceed naturally from there.

Not like I won't make it up eventually

You're right, Hannah, you never did really appreciate sleep and the ability to sit still without wondering if there was another update to the community chorus contact sheet or collecting tax forms from equity actors or taping out the set layout in the spare pavillion or DEAR GOD DID SOMEONE REMEMBER TO FILL THE COOLERS? I'm so glad that you took the time to point that out to me, and I'll very much remember for the future.

Love, Hannah


P.S. - The day actually isn't so bad, especially since I found my checkbook. Of course, whoever was nice enough to put my checkbook in Starlight's lost and found still needs a quick moment as they apparently never looked inside to check the name (where they would've discovered my own) and instead rubberbanded it to a couple of IDs and credit cards. Anyway. Lunch.

"They may be holding out for a hero, but we're holding out for sunshine! Ha ha ha...what?"

The interns (and various other members of the production staff) have been holding our collective breaths over the possibility of a rainout tonight. As the weather has been verging on the miserable all day (and often dive into wretchedness), the show might get cancelled. The unfortunate part--and no, it's not being canceled; do you think I'd pass up a chance to reach home before midnight?--is the official inclement weather policy only comes into play if (1) the start time gets delayed by a full hour or (2) we can't pull together a full [not necessarily continuous] hour worth of show. Personally, I'd just say screw it to the entire evening, but I'm far from the top of the list. The stagehands for Footloose have an ongoing joke that I have to answer to the gardener, I'm so far down. If we did take a poll of everyone working the show tonight, however, you might find more than a majority ready to take off the night and head back to their respective beds.

If we could all shove a little extra Melissa happy thoughts/prayer time in, I'm sure it'd be appreciated as she just finished a small stint in the hospital when her system went majorly out of whack. She's home and doing better, but the point still remains. Besides, who doesn't need happy thoughts on a daily basis?

Lunch break

I can't tell whether the pudding cup I just ate was vanilla or banana. It smelled like banana (and had the putrid yellow of fake banana flavoring), but it tasted more like vanilla than a fruit.

On the plus side, it's payday (and I also got my expense reimbursment check), so I might pop out for a shiny reward like I'd been mulling over earlier. Unless the puddding comes back to haunt me, of course.

Everyday feels the same...and they're all Tuesdays

The [insert time period here] in Bullets:

* The beautiful thing about running errands: even if you end up having to pay for something yourself or keeping track of mileage or something like that, it all pops up in your paycheck.

* Speaking of paychecks, those free sodas (with ID and provided container) really don't make up for the fourteen hour days. Perhaps the rumor of free kettle korn (yet unproven) will stand in [part of] the gap.

* Speaking of freebies, it pays to strike up conversation with other employees you don't know yet.

* New shirts: one Starlight ringer, one glow-in-the-dark Starlight t, one "He's a Tramp" shirt from On the Record

* Crap intern jobs: carrying deck chairs from one pavillion to another, pulling furniture from the asthmatic props barn, taking lunch orders

* Cool intern jobs: shadowing backstage for the national tour show, hotel relations before actors arrive, rental car shuffling (aka Road Trip!)

* I successfully completed my first day without getting lost while driving a single time yesterday. I've been driving for errands nearly every day since, oh, Thursday of the first week.

* Getting lost is officially called "pulling a Hannah" now (the officially comes from it not just being me using the phrase)

* Additionally, all the cell phone talk comes from the night I truly pulled a supreme Hannah. I mean, what's better than getting lost in downtown Kansas City? Why, getting a flat tire on the way home, of course!

* I finally got the full closet space yesterday and the dresser about a day before that. I'm officially moved out of my suitcase now, thanks.

* New skills: fixing copy machine jams, making coffee, smoozing with actors/crew people, making the company manager laugh so she doesn't get upset with me, eating in forty-eight seconds

* Saddest moment: that flat tire was a pretty big bummer, but I think it was worse when I still had to come into work the next day at nine after being out until almost two a.m.

* Most ecstatic moment: being asked for a copy of my resume by the head stage manager of the national tour, based mainly off talking to him before the show about Truman, life in general, and some previous experience....plus, making him laugh about a jillion times in the two-ish hours I spent with him specifically.

* Actually making it back home when it's still today (as in, not leaving for work on Tuesday morning and not returning to the driveway until early-early Wednesday morning) is the best feeling in the world.

Immense downtime between rehearsal and the show = gadget shopping

If anyone has any thoughts on cell phones, such as plans, things that work well in multiple places (get service all over), anything to look into when purchasing one, etc. They've decided that I'm not allowed to go places without at least borrowing someone's phone, and then I might as well finally invest in one...especially as it'll be helpful in real life later.

So.......thoughts?

And I still haven't officially started my real job

Two hours early to start work on memory box (only going over by ten minutes, but that's probably from actually arriving two hours and twenty minutes early - rain doesn't seem to slow me down anymore) * the standard waiting around for a job to come up while devouring food in the office * sliding table top cards into plastic holders (after pulling holders out of more plastic * playing in giant pile of plastic wrappers on floor * transferring boxes to various locations, leading to mini tour of theatre * switching out now incorrect flier from welcome bags with newly copied correct sheet * cleaning up mess started four hours earlier * making handy-dandy entrance code cards hidden on regular business card (secret agent moment!) * finally taking inventory of first aid kit, job threatened for a week * picking up forms and tax exempt sheet for after-work Wal-mart run on missing supplies * braving parking lot traffic for twenty dollars worth of Ace bandages and Ziploc bags * home

Unrelated: if you can actually see the comments and it's just me, please email me and let me know.

Even though there's part of me that knows I've evolved as a human being bunches since last year, it's still sad to read my email and realize how far I haven't moved from one year ago.

Baby's growing up and getting name badges

A girl and a badge
Originally uploaded by banana_bean.

Aren't I so official?

See the bottom left-ish blob? That's my name, actually on the card, which means I'm that much more "important" than the literally hundreds of other cards the interns got to put together. I'm loving office work-only week.

And I was concerned about not getting home until 10 p.m. or so...

I can't seem to convince myself to do anything productive this evening. I've been off the job since around 2:30, but I've been goofing off in a manner that resembles Friday afternoons at Truman. What, work on actual projects? Don't I deserve this free time? The thought occurred to me that I don't know what to do with myself without the daily battle against the cardboard boxes.

Sadly, I may resort to addicting games.com or MSN games or things of that ilk to entertain myself by the end of the day. Or, you know, go unpack or work on my still-unfinished leadership project.

Nah.

Testing? Testing!

I don't know what's happened to the comments (again), but it seems to be occurring on more than my computer seeing as Merv is four hours away and I'm typing this from my grandparent's computer....which I shall now dub...I don't know what yet. Anyway, I'll try and weasel out the issue.

Um...hi (fill in the echo for yourself)

I know I haven't been posting since the theatre banquet, as I'm reminded every one of the few times I've popped online the past three-ish weeks. I have considered throwing something up on the internet--and not just because some people have given me a hard time about not posting, Melissa--but what am I going to talk about? "Oh, I packed a few more boxes today...you know, no one should ever allow me to buy a journal again until I fill all the ones I already own...gee, who knew I had so much stuff crammed into my room?...got almost stuck under my bed again, wow I must've once been completely flat all around to fit under there..."

Okay, I guess we get a little colorful by the end, but I've mostly been in denial about the whole move. I think everyone might be, to some extent, but it caught up with me first since I'm the first of the family to truly move out. Sure, Caleb's mostly not here, but he keeps popping in on weekends to pack, like Dad, so they both can see this as home. Mom's here all the time and will be until the house finally sells and everything left moves out. Me? I'll be back out of KC mid-August, once the fifth show (Hello Dolly) finishes its run and they release me into the real world again.

I happily haven't started crying yet during this post, so I'm going to head off to bed while the pillow will stay dry. I know it's coming (there's a possibility we'll be completely moved out by the time I can come home again and I won't see this house again), but it'll just delay my getting to bed and I still have to sort through food and shoes (the two staples) in the morning.

My wedding song: Madonna - Like a Prayer

Last song danced to pre-21: Harry Connick, Jr. - Smile and a Wink
Song playing while turning 21: Chumbawumba - Tubthumping
First song heard after 21, not including the theatre department singing "Happy Birthday": En Vogue - Don't Let Go

Suddenly, slightly more pumped for my birthday.

Goblet of Fire teaser trailer on Apple.com on Sunday!

I don't get it.

From one-acts last night: "Hey, let's call those examples of stuff we don't do next year!"

I am so not nervous for my one-act anymore.

Seriously though, what WOULD I do with a pony?

People keep asking me what I want for my birthday and, while I appreciate the fact that my friends care enough to try and find me something, I don't really need a present or anything from them. I'm looking forward to hanging out with them whenever they spring a party on me (oh, I've been told there will be a party; I just don't know when it'll happen) and that will really be good enough after all this time I've spent *not* seeing people I know and love.

That said, I guess there are things that I want for my birthday, but only because I have an ongoing list of things I'm looking for (thanks, Amazon Wishlist). Either way, though, I'm not really thinking about my birthday since I still have about eight-eleven things between myself and Sunday. I'll see you when I see you.

Metaphor for something

My milk carton (thoughtfully purchased for me by Melissa this weekend when I felt like crap) has been slowly leaking in the fridge since I opened it and noticed, but all I've really done about the problem is stick half of a plastic swiss roll wrapper on the bottom and drink the milk more than usual.

Do you really need a "what's going on recently" after something like that?