Pirates! redux

Back in January, I posted about a movie I wanted to get. A big-budget big-action big-breasted porn film, loosely based on another popular pirate film series. Well, this past week, Wife finally approved the purchase (along with Hercules for only 5 dollars more.... sometimes you gotta). And now I get a movie link that talks about it, and lo and behold, they're re-editing and re-releasing it as a soft-core R rated version. From over 2 hours to under 90 min, and I'm sure, a lot tamer. I'm glad to be getting the original. I'll give you all the full review when it comes in. Gosh, my first porn DVDs (notice I didn't say porn videos. Who can forget the Adventures of the Magic Bed (besides IMDb)... Hey, it was a freebie, what can I say? And there's Kama Sutra starring that guy from Lost, Naveen Andrews, that was soft-core and mainstream, and a really beautiful movie. Not one to be ashamed of in your collection. Hmm maybe I'll pick that one up on DVD too.)

I've also caved in to societal pressures and joined MySpace. Hey, where else can I claim Manley Pope as a friend. Sure, he and Tom and I go out for drinks regularly. Tom, what a slut. I'm not sure what good myspace is, but it's au courant. I'm sure not gonna give up Blogger for myspace. And it does provide interesting surf potential. Oh, yeah, and Flickr. They're both on the sidebar.

It's been a long time, Friday Five.

It's been a long time since there's been a good series of questions, ones worth answering. So here goes:

1. How many places have you lived in your life?
Kind of an ambiguous question... define 'place'. Cities? 5 (technically 6 but my parents moved from Lafayette to Midland when I was 2, so does it count?), Addresses? Lets see. Midland- 2, Terneuzen(NL)- 2(one was a highrise apt building for 3 weeks while we found a house), Lincoln(NE for college)- 4, Auburn Hills(MI)- 2, Rockford(IL)- 2.

2. Which was your favorite and why and what street was it on?
I suppose the second one in Midland, where I grew up, has the most fond memories, but the second one in Terneuzen was also very special, even though I was only there for a year. It was nr.16 on Amstelstraat (named for either the river, or the beer, your choice). We did a lot of work in the yard to make it 'ours', the house itself was pretty cool, and it had a cute neighbor girl who seldom used her drapes...

3. If you could live anywhere for the rest of your life, where would it be?
Two options here: I love the northern midwest US, because that's what I know and love. But I've always wanted to live either in Norway or Iceland. Every place has it's pluses and minuses. When it comes down to it, any place can be a home.

4. What would your ideal home have in it?
Oh wow. um. A home theatre, a pool with hot tub and/or sauna, a large balcony (or widows walk) overlooking the river, and, while not technically IN it, lots of acreage, at least 5-10.

5. Can you describe your current crib?
I don't really care for either the word 'crib' or for the house I'm living in now.
It's a tiny little house in a less than reputable part of town. Frame house, one story w/ basement. Limestone foundation, roof in need of replacement, small front porch, back screen porch with half the screens missing, old plumbing and electrical, and odd room layout. I've also found out that one of the actors I work with grew up in this house. Her dad scratched her moms name in the wall of the basement. Small world.

On the Verge pix

Ok this is the first try at posting with a Flickr image. We'll see how it goes (Nope, didn't work as well as just uploading them.). These are two of my shots from On the Verge. I may replace them when I get the professional shots. So, needless to say, I've started a Flickr page for my photos. It's not so hot when I'm home on dialup. But at work... WowWowWow. A couple of the shots have really suffered between media. The one of Becky in the hospice is particularly Crappy. It was shot with a disposable, and either scanned from print, or from a Floppy disk. Don't bother enlarging it, it only gets crappier. I may find a better shot.

I had another restless night last night, asleep at 3 up at 4, asleep at 6:30 up at 7:30, blah blah. So, as usual when I'm wide awake in the middle of the night, I log on and write emails that I shouldn't. At least now I'm learning, I didn't put the address on it, and saved it as a draft. Maybe in a month or so I'll send it. Maybe, maybe not, Maybe, maybe not (you just have to imagine the choreography that goes with that one.) After it won't matter if I destroy another relationship by being honest.

Weather is hot here. Turned on the AC last night. Approaching 90 this weekend. Tonight is a T-bone on the grill for our Anniversary. Monday is grilling at a friends for Memorial Day.

Vacation!

After the Chicago trip to return the light board, I'm taking my accumulated vacation days. Well, except for today, when I'm stripping my electrics from the practical pinball machine, on my own time, at my own rate. And also to stay in touch with S, who's still being given grief by Boss, and who's having to work while sick since she's used all her sick/vacation days. Met with ex-soundguy D to loan out a couple of disks from the NAT sound Library, and ended up going out for dinner and drinks with he and S. Carlyle for pizza and beer. Mmmm not bad pizza too. And D paid for it, which was an unexpected bonus. We've arranged a poker/dessert night next week, so I'm providing drinks.
So I've been off work, at home, for the past few days, and I'm already begining to go stir crazy (probably one of the reasons I'm in here at work today.) Wife and I have been watching movies and DVD's almost continuously. Last week shopping we picked up some movies, concerts, and TV series on DVD and have been watching them. Remember the series "Wonderfalls"? Early 2004? I'm not surprised, it only aired 4 episodes before Fox cancelled it. The full series of 13 episodes are out, and are as charming as I remember them. A girl working in a gift shop in Niagara Falls starts having stuffed animals and wax lions talk to her telling her to do things which have good consequences for people, the problem being that the messages are usually short and enigmatic. "Girl needs a boy" or "Give him heart". Fun and charming series. And they ended it well. Too bad it was never seen. oh well. Among other recent viewing has been: Animal House, Foreign Fields, Aeon Flux, Persuasion (ok that was Wifes, and I haven't seen it), and Northern Exposure Season 4. Still to come, Blazing saddles (though Wife hates this movie and I'll watch it on my own), and Queen at Wembly stadium concert. Yup. lots of TV. I'm waiting for it to stop raining so I can get some of these plants in the ground. They're needing planting.
Tonight is back to the college to run the show of On the Verge. It'll be good to see those people again. I missed them, K the Production Assistant, E, the Stage Manager, and the dear friends who are the actors there. Followed by photo call. Which means that pix will follow in a day or three.
Today is also my anniversary. 16 years of marriage. In some ways it really doesn't seem that long. In others, an eternity, especially when I think of where I'm going, and where I've been. Hard to believe I've been in this town for 12 years now. ouch. We're having a special dinner, meaning me grilling steaks and she making some exquisite scalloped potatoes. We do eat well at our house, witnessed by both our sizes.
Ok I've been working on this post all day too, so I'll post it now. Since I'm finishing it during photo call on the wi-fi.

A usually great blog.

I love Jakes posts. Just surreal enough to make me giggle.
Final show of TOMMY today. Can't say I'm sorry to see it go.
Time lapse...
It's now late, during the second Manley Pope benefit concert. About 30 people this time. still mostly actors from Tommy. I've been in a real funk this week. Lots of rumors of parties that I'm not included in. Right when I needed a party/drinking binge the most to lift my spirits, I'd not been invited to any. I did crash one on Saturday, on S's orders. Mostly fun time. Mostly actors. Got to see even more how ego-centric they really are. I suppose you have to be to get up on stage and expect people to watch you. Got into a bit of trouble with wife, but only 'cause I didn't call in like a good little boy.
Still more time lapses...
It's now Monday afternoon and this post has gone on way longer than it should have. Sorry.
The Popester sang for almost 2 hours last night. Then there was a bit of a party at Kryponite, a bar down the block, for S and TD who will not be back next season. It was organized by one of the actors and one of the 'volunteer' crew. While I'm no longer eager to associate with these people, I was obliged to go (even though I'll be working with them (S and TD, not the actors) for another month or so). I shot some darts, and darted some shots, and was more or less ignored by all but one or two of the actors. The sound was as insanely loud as ever, even if the band was better than they usually get (the best of the Tommy band members). And some of the actors felt compelled to sing. One in particular, Lindsey, "sang" a song from Tommy that she didn't sing in the show, but her 'vocal stylings' were more screams and shrieks than music. There's a reason she didn't sing it in the show. After a while, I said goodby to S and left. I don't care if I never see any of those actors again. Self-centered pricks all of them. I went for a long walk along the river, for about an hour, to calm myself and to try to re-center my soul. No luck. I'm gonna have to have a river day, or day at the state park lake to try to rebalance myself. It's been a long time since I've been this deeply depressed. I'm actually wondering if I should see a doctor or shrink or somebody for it, but fuck'm, who can afford em, or the meds. Like I need more drugs in my system. I just need to not think about the next month, or the prospect of next year.
This morning was dedicated to rental return for my stuff. Light Board and monitors went back into Chicago. Just off the loop. But Illinois has doubled the tolls if you don't have the electronic I-Pass, which I don't. So it was backroads in for me. US-20 in, until it hits I-290 (that was the plan, though I realized at some point that I'm not on 20 but on 72?? but since I'm still going East, who cares, I'll hit 290 eventually). Off at the Western exit, get hit up twice at stoplights by panhandlers, a few more blocks, just off Grand at 90 and I'm there. Drop off, point out the previous damage to their equipment, and leave. and try to find my way back since I don't know HOW I got there. I found the jog on 20 that I went straight through, just East of Elgin. Stop for Giordanos pizza and back to FINALLY finish this post over lunch. Afternoon agenda: clean up my workbench and desk, and take more of my stuff home. I think sorting gel is a priority. I hate having it in boxes sitting around. I like knowing what I have in stock. Since I still don't know how much I'll be around this summer (especially since the gigs in Beloit fell thru, grrrr.), I'm gonna make it look pretty for whoever needs to use my space.
And speaking of next year. I'm stuck here in this town and this theatre until our car crash lawsuit is settled, and State Farm is not only dragging their feet, but throwing out anchors. Now they're requesting Wifes medical records for the 3-4 yrs before the accident, to try to disallow any of the damages from the accident as pre-existing. With her lower back troubles, I wonder if we'll get screwed on this one too. fecking lawyers.

Photocall from HELL

Usually for a show, the photocall is maybe 24-30 shots. That's usually enough to capture the essence of the show. The union rules state that it can't go longer than 90 min. or you accrue overtime.
Tonight's photocall was 56 shots and lasted 3 1/4 hours. Boss was prepared to pay overtime. What the hell, there are only 5 union contracts in the cast. Screw the rest of us. We had high schoolers who stayed most of the time, but as midnight came and went, they had to go home. Hell, none of the staff, volunteers, or non-equity actors got overtime... But why not. We have a hard time making payroll, but we can afford overtime for a 200 minute photocall! I'd love to see those paychecks.
On her way out of the building tonight, S also mentioned the meeting with Boss at 3:00 tomorrow.
"?" I said.
"Yeah, you know, the one he set up in my office today?"
"Oh, you mean when I was in the rehearsal hall cleaning out and putting away the props from four weeks ago?"
"Oh, yeah. Well, there's a meeting tomorrow at 3:00 to wrap up the season."
"Thanks for letting me in on it."
Why does communication HAVE to be so difficult? I accepted the offer of designing three shows up in Beloit this summer. I named my price, I'll find out soon if he accepts it. I still haven't heard an offer from Boss for summer work... I wonder if I'll get an offer for next season before I leave in a week. I'm planning to take my vacation time from the close of the show until the end of my contract.

I'm tired now. I've had half a pint of rum in my coffee during the photocall, and I just want to go to bed.

More of the same shit`

A while back I speculated on the appetites of the actors in the show. Well, after my first 'tween show dinner, nothing has changed my opinion of them. Granted, I was really delayed in getting down there. I had a light that has been giving me problems for the past few days. I thought I'd gotten it fixed, but it was flickering again during the first show, so it had to be replaced. At intermission, I started rewiring it, replacing the socket. I finished that after the show, and then got out a ladder, hung, colored and refocused the light. I've always been taught that work comes before leisure. If your work goes long, at least it gets done. If you eat first, you may not have time to do the work. The danger in this, of course, is that if the actors are self-centered, they may not leave any food. Well, by the time I got down there, the chicken and rice dish was a dish of very tasty rice, with a few slivers of chicken. I was able to scrape the pan with the corn/something vegi dish, to get a spoonfull, but it was cold corn and something crunchy. Not really edible. One of the actors came in looking for more bread, and told me that there used to be dinner rolls. At least there were three pieces of chocolate cake left (I'm not a huge chocolate cake fan, but since it was half my dinner, I took one). So I decided to go to Happy Wok and get the Hot/sour soup. Mmmm love that stuff, and it had more meat than the rice did.
I'd also been asked to write a letter of recommendation for S for her job searches. I was up here in the office finishing that when TD came in asking if I was going to the party. Yeah, he said party. "I guess not, since this is the first I've heard of it..." "oh. (pregnant pause) I'm sure it'd be ok if you came anyway..." yeah. uh huh. Not my style. Especially since this was one of the actors I talked to at dinnertime. Same shit, different day. Why do I expect anything new.
My rum bottle is getting emptier.

Humbug

I'm really not feeling well again. I think it's the constant agravation at work. Or maybe it's just the full moon again. I'm very blah, lethargic, and somewhat anti-social. Maybe because I don't care to associate with any of the cast, which is who S hangs out with most now. She enjoys their company, or most of them at least. Fair enough, since she has to be around them and interact with them all the time. Mostly, I just get jealous and irritated at their bed-hopping, game-playing attitudes. I forget just how young twenty-somethings can be. I feel so old.

I've gotten an offer to do three summer shows up in Beloit this summer, at the New Court Theater. The Boss there can be an irritating prick to work for, but at this point, he's a different irritating prick. Rumor has it that he's also back on the wagon. A good thing. It's a 30-45 minute drive. Not a good thing. I think I'll ask for my fee, and an additional $50 for gas per show. Then, part of me relishes the fact that Boss here will be screwed for lights. Of course this is dependant on when (or if?) he talks to me about working here over the summer. I need a break in a big way, and am content to let the State carry me until I go back to work in the fall. It gives me a chance to recharge my energy batteries. Part of my lethargy is not knowing what's going on down here. FreeLancing is fun, and sometimes exciting and exhausting, but I've come to rely on the security of a Position somewhere.

Ok somehow it's now almost 1am and I'm about to head out. I'm too old for this shit. I think Verge is now Finished (capital F). I need to swing back by NAT for a piece of steel to make the magic door open mechanism work, and then I need to be back in here at 9. Ok, time to post this for real. I've only been working on it since dinnertime (I keep getting interrupted).

A Good Thing

It may indeed be a good thing that I've stopped my dialup service at home. I can no longer lay in bed and surf or post here, but likewise, I also cannot log on at 3 or 4 in the morning, after I've been drinking, and write emails that seem like a good idea at the time, but a few hours later seem like they'd best be kept unwritten. Such was the case this past weekend. While cutting loose after a show at AET, I was tempted to tell a certain young lady how I feel about her (no, not E, I know how that'd go!). She'd been bemoaning her dating woes, and I was loose enough to think sharing might be a good idea.
Saved by lack of internet service. Will I never learn just to keep my mouth shut?
In other news, I've discovered THE place to go for drinks. After Sunday's Pope show at NAT, S , TD and I went out to a local gay bar (under recent new management). I ordered a double Captain Morgan, straight up. She started to put ice in a glass, before I reminded her what straight up means. She was dumbfounded. I was puzzled, until I realized that she was filling the glass to the same level she would have if it had been filled with ice. In short, she FILLED a small coke glass with rum. We're talking at least a triple, more realisticly, a quadruple! Zowie! Then she told me how much it was. $6.50. 8-) At either of the snooty places closer to the theatre, they charge 4-5 dollars for a SHOT of liquor. I was expecting $7 for a double shot, and got THIS. Now that was a score! Made my weekend. Now THAT was a celebration for 200 posts.

Well, today was my first day back at TOMMY. It was also the first show without an Understudy! That's right, EVERY show up to now has had an understudy on. First laryngitis, then some strange drug allergy, then wedding planning out of town, all culled at least one person out of the show. All in all, it looked and sounded really good. All for about 70 blue-haired old ladies. Now I'm back at the college, ready to go home, at 2:30 am, since I can log on here. But I think that Verge may finally be done. At least for today, though I won't be seeing it again, having to run TOMMY for the rest of the nights. I can still do notes, but not take them myself.

Grrr....

No SCORE for me.
The theatre couldn't make payroll on Friday after all. Found out tonight that it is now in, and can be deposited on Monday. Sent wife into a panic, cause she likes to write checks and send them out on payday, whether I actually GET the paycheck or not. Monday isn't too much of a delay though, should be ok.

On the Verge is the biggest headache I've had in a while. Yes, TOMMY was hell, but at least I know the equipment works. At the college, I have no guarantee that ANY equipment will work, from the lighting instruments, to the cable, to the plugs coming out of the ceiling, to the patch cables in the booth, to the dimmers themselves; any of it could be the cause of a short circuit. They don't have a staff electrics manager to keep the stuff maintained and working. They rely on an overworked Tech Director, and a student workforce. I have a circuit of three lights that are shorting out, and blowing the dimmer (despite having a circuit breaker, it blows an internal fuse instead) I've now blown three dimmers on this line. I thought I found the problem with a notoriously bad two-fer, but that didn't fix it. So the problem is elsewhere in: three caps, two cables (either end), two circuits, or a twofer (well, since I just replaced the twofer, it probably isn't that, but no guarantees). That'll be a problem for tomorrow, at least.



Tonight is a concert at work of the inimitable vocal stylings of Mr. MANLEY POPE (he's the one in red. The other guy is one of the show's guitarists who played along). Tonights audience is a total of 9. I think there MAY be people who aren't actors, but I can't be sure, and I'd bet that most of them are comp'ed in. It's very intimate, and interactive, taking requests etc. But it shows no signs of ending. If I'd paid money for it, I'd be getting my moneys worth. But I wouldn't, and I didn't, so I'm not.

Next day edit...
The show ran about 2 hours. Just as I was about to upload the pix, the show ended and I had to work. Then there was the obligatory drinking/bitching session at the bar, then the bitching/shivering session standing at our cars outside the bar. I was going to finish the post when I got home, only to remember that I just recently discontinued my home dialup service. D'oh. Dummy me. So I'm back in at NAT doing some work, but actually FINALLY getting this post done.

My pharmacopeia

I got bored the other morning, and, for the heck of it, took a pic of my morning ritual medicinal intake. Big red multivitamin, yellow B-complex, aspirin, Aleve, and Atenolol for blood pressure. Yes, I get bored easily, and often find myself staring at my hands. This morning, they just happened to have a handfull of pills in them.
Now I don't have much time for navel gazing (or fingerprint gazing) again. I've realized that there will be no help in getting the lights hung for On the Verge. E is overworked getting the set built and together, so it seems to be up to me to get the lights done. My job? Debateable. De Facto at least. First job is to gather all the lights from the other theatre where they were for the last show at the college. Then, since the hanging arrangement is different, I have to change the C-clamps to a Unistrut fitting. After clearing one of the flying electrics (and having to climb the 70' to the grid to re-balance the counterweight), I realized that I'd never get it done without help. D is doing sound for the show, but he's always a good sport at helping out with lights. I texted him at 2am, when I got out last night, and this morning he replied "Sure, I'll be there at noon." We got all the lights in and hung, though not plugged in, by just before the 6 'o clock rehearsal. Good work. Either tonight or tomorrow (or both) is circuiting them, and then focusing them where they need to go. Hopefully, by tomorrow night, I'll start having some cues written and roughed in. Saturday is tech. Tomorrow is also a double payday, my real job, and the second installment of this one. SCORE!
But, for now, back to work.

VACATION - kinda - no, not really

Boss-man just came up to see me. He said that he noticed that I'm not running shows this week, and that I hadn't requested Vacation time. I said that I was planning on coming in during the day to work here, and evenings across town on On theVerge. He thought I might be spreading myself too thin and suggested that I take Vacation time. OK. It's not like I'll use it for anything else. So, while I'm still here working, 'cause that's where we keep the drafting table, I'm not really here, and not needing to pretend to work for here.
Work continues well, I've got a rough draft done and should be ready to hang lights tomorrow.

Hmm. I'm also coming up on post #200. Any suggestions on how to celebrate? Is it worth celebrating?