I think I sprained my face.
Seriously.
I was driving back up to NY after the wedding, and my face was all sore. I couldn't figure it out. I was like, "Ow... I hope I'm not developing TMJ..." when I realized my face hurt from the constant forced smiling.
At one point, at the reception, after I caught myself saying the 500th inane pat response- "It was lovely.".... "Sure, I can totally take the tear out of that buttonhole in PhotoShop" (PUH-leaze, NO ONE can see it without a magnifying glass)... "No, the flower girl is NOT asleep in the van; she's in the bed and breakfast." "Yes, I just saw her."..."Yes, it WAS beautiful.".... "This is YOUR day."... "Oh, that 'Stacey's Mom' song is your favorite, yeah? It's catchy, I'll give you that."... "Um, you looked like you were having so much fun during YMCA"- I went to the ladies' room and stopped smiling. And it hurt, like when you have your hair pulled in a tight ponytail all day and finally take it down.
Huh.
Monday, November 24, 2003
Saturday, November 15, 2003
I am in Boston to see Stephen in Julius Ceasar. He's on a roll at the moment, which I am thrilled about. He's going to be touring with "Romeo and Juliet" until the end of May, but it's what we've been hoping for, so- woo hoo!
But in the middle of all the Shakespeare and reputable theater, Stephen is also juggling a 10-person show called Anger Box, which offers some extremely dark comedic commentary on religion, the afterlife, etc. Let's put it this way: I don't really want to see the "et cetera" while sitting in the audience with Stephen's mom. Or anyone's mom for that matter.
I should add, at this point, that Stephen is always fairly secretive when it comes to the shows he is in, especially if I've never seen the show before and don't know much about it. I know who he's befriended in the cast, whose a b!tch to work with, how hot his 8-ft, 50 lb costume is, but I almost never know that he's hiding in a steamer truck for the first 25 minutes of the show, what his costume will be like, if the "nurse" Erika portrays is actually a mental patient and/or when he pops out of that trap door. I know he wants me to have as many surpises as any other audience member so I can properly enjoy the theatrical experience.
BUT-tonight he came to Manda's aprtment after rehearsal for Anger Box with a poster from the show. I did NOT know that while he's delivering his monologue about m@sterb@tion, he will be dressed as an elf, in a green elf costume with a giant yellow bow tie. The teaser postcard he made also mentions that he takes off his pants.
Furthermore, there is an actress in the show who portrays the Virgin Mary as a young mother (w/infant son) in a monologue titled, "Jesus, eat your Cheerios."
I can. not. wait. to see this show. Any takers for a road trip to Boston?
But in the middle of all the Shakespeare and reputable theater, Stephen is also juggling a 10-person show called Anger Box, which offers some extremely dark comedic commentary on religion, the afterlife, etc. Let's put it this way: I don't really want to see the "et cetera" while sitting in the audience with Stephen's mom. Or anyone's mom for that matter.
I should add, at this point, that Stephen is always fairly secretive when it comes to the shows he is in, especially if I've never seen the show before and don't know much about it. I know who he's befriended in the cast, whose a b!tch to work with, how hot his 8-ft, 50 lb costume is, but I almost never know that he's hiding in a steamer truck for the first 25 minutes of the show, what his costume will be like, if the "nurse" Erika portrays is actually a mental patient and/or when he pops out of that trap door. I know he wants me to have as many surpises as any other audience member so I can properly enjoy the theatrical experience.
BUT-tonight he came to Manda's aprtment after rehearsal for Anger Box with a poster from the show. I did NOT know that while he's delivering his monologue about m@sterb@tion, he will be dressed as an elf, in a green elf costume with a giant yellow bow tie. The teaser postcard he made also mentions that he takes off his pants.
Furthermore, there is an actress in the show who portrays the Virgin Mary as a young mother (w/infant son) in a monologue titled, "Jesus, eat your Cheerios."
I can. not. wait. to see this show. Any takers for a road trip to Boston?
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Oh, dear. I got an email forward today from my old pet-sitter back in Miami. I liked her so much; she was a lovely person who loved Bella and Fred and cared for them like they were her own. The email subject heading said, "Fwd: Do you agree or not?"
I usually just delete this stuff, but she hasn't emailed me since last February. I thought it might be something about dog-fighting (HUGE problem in Miami. Huge.) or Greyhound racing (Also, big down there) or ordinances about pitbulls (Dade County has a law that if you own a pitbull, they will confiscate it and put it down. Doesn't matter if it's a stray or 3 days old or a certified Therapy International dog. They will take it and kill it and fine the person in possession $500, no questions asked.) We all know Florida is scary. Last year, I could have called my blog "floridaisscary.blogspot.com")
But this is what the email said: "It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the 14% to Sit Down and SHUT UP!!!" If you agree, pass this on, if not delete."
Obviously, this gets my ol' Liberal Hackles way up. 1.) To launch into a treatise about the damaging nature of unfounded blanket generalizations, stereotypes and anonymous statements like, "It is Said..." and 2.) To question the biased, undocumented statistic that lies at the heart of this email would be preaching to the choir here and 3.) To discuss the challenges, the threats even, that school-aged youth who opt not to participate in so-called "Acts of Patriotism" face when they even consider an act of resistance would be preaching to the choir here. (And yet, it seems I can't help myself...) In fact, to extend the simile, it would just be like asking the choir to deliver the sermon themselves, I think.
So do I just delete it and chalk it up to the General Vortex of Rampant Ignorance swirling around just about everywhere these days? And if I do, does that mean that I sat down and did, in fact, "SHUT UP!!"? Do I try to craft a thoughtful response, at least to the person who sent it to me, with whom I have a personal connection, in hope of engaging in a productive dialogue? Could I even do that in a neutral way when I am so dismayed at the level of smugness and presumption in the email she forwarded?
Do I think about everything too much in general? Maybe I should just go back into an Ivory Tower, become a women's studies professor, use words like "praxis" and "Other-ing" on a daily basis and tell myself I AM making a difference in my Cozy Haven of Social Change by introducing 18-year-olds to the notion of social justice by assigning them "reader responses" to Jonathan Kozol books. In which case, I am going to need some colorful scarves and at least three pairs of dangly, dramatic earrings.
I usually just delete this stuff, but she hasn't emailed me since last February. I thought it might be something about dog-fighting (HUGE problem in Miami. Huge.) or Greyhound racing (Also, big down there) or ordinances about pitbulls (Dade County has a law that if you own a pitbull, they will confiscate it and put it down. Doesn't matter if it's a stray or 3 days old or a certified Therapy International dog. They will take it and kill it and fine the person in possession $500, no questions asked.) We all know Florida is scary. Last year, I could have called my blog "floridaisscary.blogspot.com")
But this is what the email said: "It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the 14% to Sit Down and SHUT UP!!!" If you agree, pass this on, if not delete."
Obviously, this gets my ol' Liberal Hackles way up. 1.) To launch into a treatise about the damaging nature of unfounded blanket generalizations, stereotypes and anonymous statements like, "It is Said..." and 2.) To question the biased, undocumented statistic that lies at the heart of this email would be preaching to the choir here and 3.) To discuss the challenges, the threats even, that school-aged youth who opt not to participate in so-called "Acts of Patriotism" face when they even consider an act of resistance would be preaching to the choir here. (And yet, it seems I can't help myself...) In fact, to extend the simile, it would just be like asking the choir to deliver the sermon themselves, I think.
So do I just delete it and chalk it up to the General Vortex of Rampant Ignorance swirling around just about everywhere these days? And if I do, does that mean that I sat down and did, in fact, "SHUT UP!!"? Do I try to craft a thoughtful response, at least to the person who sent it to me, with whom I have a personal connection, in hope of engaging in a productive dialogue? Could I even do that in a neutral way when I am so dismayed at the level of smugness and presumption in the email she forwarded?
Do I think about everything too much in general? Maybe I should just go back into an Ivory Tower, become a women's studies professor, use words like "praxis" and "Other-ing" on a daily basis and tell myself I AM making a difference in my Cozy Haven of Social Change by introducing 18-year-olds to the notion of social justice by assigning them "reader responses" to Jonathan Kozol books. In which case, I am going to need some colorful scarves and at least three pairs of dangly, dramatic earrings.
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