Busted Photos

Reporting to you LIVE from beautiful Oak Island, NC!

Here's a few photos from the accident mentioned in the previous post. We really were very fortunate that the van and trailer didn't start rolling. Also, in retrospect, I remember standing outside after the accident thinking with the rest of the guys that it was one awesome ride!

As you can see in a couple of the photos, one of the passenger side tires of the trailer was flat busted, and the other one wound up completely missing. We later found it after the trailer had been towed back to the house UNDERNEATH the trailer!

Delayed...

Reporting LIVE from Nashville, TN...

As many of you know, between Christmas and New Year's, I travel to Nashville and to various parts of North Carolina for The Edge Conference. This year, our start has been a bit delayed due to an accident.

[12:00 pm] We loaded up a big 16x7 trailer with sound equipment and merch, etc... hitched it up to the van, and headed out. [1:15 pm] About five to ten miles down the road, the van began to swerve a bit. Our driver did the best he could, but the trailer we were towing seemed to want to take over. The swerving turned into 180 degree spin, and for a few seconds, the trailer was actually towing us. The trailer seemed bored with that, and spun the van another 180 degrees back into the lead. At this point, the van was being forced into the soft median, and the trailer wanted to continue on, and jack-knifed the van.

When everything stopped, the trailer and the van made an 'L' shape. No one inside the van was hurt - thank God - and no one else was really on the road. When we all piled out of the van, we surveyed the situation and noticed that on one side of the trailer, one of the tires were shredded, and the other one was completely missing! - Rim, hub, and all!

A state trooper, a sheriff, many awesome people stopping to ask if we're okay or need assistance, and a couple hours standing in the cold later - and we're back at the house where we left from... plans are in motion to get trailers in order to get equipment and people to N.Carolina tonight.

... Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Not too sure when the next time I'll be able to post is, so I figured I'd go ahead and wish everyone safe travels, warm family gatherings, and lots of good cheer.

Between now, and New Years, I'll be in Columbus, OH; Lexington, KY; Nashville, TN; and Ridgecrest & Caswell, NC. A lot of traveling, and a lot of fun, growth, work, learning, and excitement!

Starting...

It's starting to feel a little more like Christmas to me. Tonight - Stephanie, Dustin, Katie, and I got together at Steph's to make Christmas Cookies and Sweets. Dustin and Katie made a bunch of different cookies, and I taught Steph how to make Oreo Balls. Oreo Balls have 3 ingredients: Oreo's, Cream Cheese, and White Chocolate... and they taste A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I discovered them around last Thanksgiving, made some myself, and everyone who has tried them has absolutely loved them! Anyway, while making cookies and stuff, we listened to lots of Christmas music. Two things that always put me in a Christmas mood are Trans Siberian Orchestra, and the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

Also, I received my first present of the season - Volume 3 of the Family Guy DVD sets. (Thanks, Steph!) I love Family Guy and only own the first Volume of the DVDs... incredibly funny!

Another thing that helped me get a little more in the spirit was a Christmas Concert that I went to on Sunday night with Steph. We went to see Mercy Me & Steven Curtis Chapman at Rupp. It was a lot of fun. The music was awesome - Steph has a huge heart for Chapman's values on adoption. And at the beginning, both MM & SCC was on stage at the same time doing a "Songs We're Not Going to Play" set where they played quick excerpts from some of their more popular songs. Being a lighting technician and designer, I really took in the fantastic and wonderful design. Around 75 - 100 intelligent fixtures painting the air and adding another dimension to the music. I'll post a few pictures from the concert when I get a chance.

NFL Playoffs

Here's what the playoff bracket would look like if the regular season ended today:

FOOTBALL!!!

A great day (so far) in the game of football...

>> Whoo HOO! Indianapolis has been knocked off their high horse! San Diego whomped 'em a few hours ago with a score of 26 - 17.

>> Cinci is leading the Detroit Lions 24 - 7 at half-time!!
. . . .update: CINCI WON 41 - 17!!!

>> Steelers easily defeated the Vikings, 18 - 3. Good for Dustin, okay for me.

Kong

Went to see KING KONG last night with Dustin, Katie, Jarred, Kelly, and Katie/Jarred's Dad. It was great - really long, though, and I had to pee through 2/3 of the movie... thanks Peter Jackson.

This great remake of a classic film was just that; great! Everything one remembers and loves and thinks about when they think about King Kong is in this movie. With the technology available to the movie industry now, it was finally time for this movie to be reincarnated. And Peter Jackson did right by this movie.

I really enjoyed the acting in this movie, as well. I never really thought anything about Namoi Watts, or to that fact, think I've seen anything she's ever been in... but I enjoyed and was pleased by her performance as Ann Darrow. Jack Black even amazed me in his role of the filmmaker, Carl Denham. The screenwriter/love interest of Jack Driscol was well portrayed by Adrien Brody.

Definitely see this movie in the theatre! But don't sit too close... you might get sea-sick.

Quote

"... and it was a happy place; filled with love and laughter."

Chandler M. Bing
Friends - The Last One

Chronicles of Narnia

So as I said on Tuesday - I went to see Chronicles of Narnia with Dustin, Katie, Jason and Kathryn. And usually a movie like this I make sure to include Steph in, but she and Chris decided to hold off until he makes it back to the States to see it together.

The first of (hopefully) many movie adaptations of C.S. Lewis' children's books, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was incredible. I have been a fan of Chronicles since I first read them in 4th grade. I'm not a huge reader, but when I get hooked on a book, it's just about all I do in my spare time. I have owned three sets of these books, and worn out the first two via reading them so much.

At one point during the movie, I thought that this must've been what fans of Lord of the Rings went through in anticipation and during those movies.

When asked what I thought of the movie, I've responded with, "it was like they reached into my imagination and put it on the screen."

Bengals Watch

Okay, the Bengals are pretty set in the playoffs. Right now, they're seeded third in the AFC right behind the Denver Broncos. I've researched all the scenarios for playoffs and really want Denver to lose any or all of their remaining division games, the Steelers need to lose in order for Cincy to be North Division Champs (sorry, Dustin), and needs Kansas City and San Diego losses (sorry, SFB).

Right now, as it stands, Cincy will be facing the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs with a home field advantage.

To be honest... all this stuff is quite confusing to me, I just know what I read, I don't exactly know how it all works. As long as my team is going the distance, that's cool with me. :)

Rapid Fire

No long stories... just the facts...

>> Sunday, operated roaming stage cam. Had a blast! Not as good as Patrick, though. :)

>> Still working Sudoku puzzles.

>> Half-way through reading WICKED. It's getting really good.

>> Saw Chronicles of Narnia last night with Dustin, Katie, Jason, and Kathryn. It was AWESOME. More on that later.

>> Saw Aeon Flux on Sunday evening. Translated well from MTV animation to Big Screen live action. No oscar performances, but an entertaining movie. I enjoyed it.

Cheesy Post

While shopping at the grocery store for snacks the other day, I was in the cracker aisle (where I belong), and passed by - as I had many times before - the Easy Cheese. It seemed to call out to me this time though. I reached out and grabbed it and put it in the basket.

When I got home, it was like an old friend long forgotten. I remember when I was younger, I used to go through cans of easy cheese like they were nothing. I remember loving to make designs on the crackers. Those were simpler times.

Why do things have to change?

Chocolate Drops of Heaven

I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Before I ever tasted a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, I was dipping Hershey's candy bar into a jar of JIF.

Growing up, I also loved Snicker's candy bars... but when I got braces in Jr. High, I wasn't allowed to have caramel any more. Around that time, they came out with Peanut Butter Snickers... and my taste buds were saved. Later, even TWIX came out with a peanut butter version, which I also fell in love with. I actually like the peanut butter versions of most candybars better than the caramel versions.

So when at Steph's house one day, I was introduced to Peanut Butter Kisses!!! Fantastic!!! Then just the other day, I was shopping and saw them... I immediatly bought two bags. They are so tasty!

News of Note

News from around the net...

- iPod underwear

- Superman's Lunchbox?

- Snake vs. Cow

Bengals 10 - 3

The Bengals defeated the Browns this afternoon in another step toward the playoffs...

"How long can it last?

No one is talking Super Bowl yet - well, except for receiver Chad Johnson. But with the no-huddle offense on a roll, the defense getting turnovers at a remarkable rate and the breaks falling their way, these Bengals are a team that no one would like to face in the playoffs.

Not even Indianapolis."

Rapid Fire

No long stories (stop cheering), just the facts:

-> At Church - old console froze up, a replacement came in while ours is being fixed.

-> Christmas time - mixed feelings. Love giving, love receiving, love my savior Jesus Christ. Don't mind shopping. Hate trying to figure out what to get people.

-> Get to operate the "roaming cam" for church tomorrow morning.

-> Got hooked on Sudoku. A number based crossword puzzle type game.

-> Finished reading DARK LORD: The Rise of Darth Vader. Takes place shortly after SW: Episode III and about 18 or so years before the events of the original trilogy (when Luke and Leia were just babies).

-> Started reading WICKED: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

A New Day - Gear

Here's the sweet new setup we have at church for the lighting system. What's been added is the two monitors on the right, the keyboard, mouse, and the server (CPU). The new system turns our old lighting console (the big grey thing with lots of buttons and sliders) into a big giant keyboard. It's really awesome. It has CAD and 3D visualization software built in. So, I can see what the lights will look like, without actually turning them on. I can see what people will look like on stage, as well as placing risers and musical instruments. I love it.

Now, the new board is just part of what's cool about the new building. The control booth is not a loft way in the back of the building... it's now a rolling cart... well not so much cart as platform... a 2 1/2 ton, high tech, monster of a platform - affectionately known as, "the barge".

The Barge. A funny story about the first weekend of services was that due to the incredible high quality of the sound system, the subwoofers actually made the booth rattle... kind of like when you're driving down the road and a car with WAY too much bass pulls up next to you at a red light and you think that their car is going to fall apart from all the rattling.

The next day, our TD found a "To Do" list in the booth, it read:
- Install HEMI in the booth.
- Install hydraulics lifts.
- Install Neon lights underneath.

There are now efforts underway to dampen the sound of the barge. :)

Hear Ye, Here Ye

I am proud to announce (with permission) the return to the blogging scene, a dear friend of mine. Ladies and Gentlemen. Run, don't walk. To
an American Girl in London.

After a hiatus of unimaginable proportions, she's back with a new style, a new outlook on life, and as quirky and as (so she thinks ;)) humorous as ever!

To the right is a screen shot of her page. Just a sneak peek at what's in store. Go check it out. And when you come back tell me what you think of it. I have a special interest in it because I designed the look and layout of her new template!

I'm sure I speak for her as well when I say, we both hope you like it.

Some of you may recall about a month or so ago (around october) when I was talking about the secret project I was working on... as well as how to build a british flag from scratch

A New Day ... Rewind

Whew... the past week has been a whirlwind. I, along with many others, moved my church into the new building, and prepared for the first weekend of services in the new main room.

I figured it up, and I worked around 80 or 85 hours this week (Sunday - Sunday). Many people commented on seeing me there so much, asked me where my bed was, and if I was spending the night on the catwalks or in the booth, or if I slept at all. It was actually a lot of hard work. I remember coming home most nights, sitting down on my couch, turning on the TV, and the next thing I knew - waking up in the morning.

The first weekend services were awesome. The new sound system is incredible - installed by FORD A/V. The video system which was designed/installed by Mankin Media, was a treat for the eyes. Not only were these guys awesome intallers, but they are great people to be around and hang with. In Lighting World... our upgrades consisted of an Emphasis Control Server by ETC, and 6 Martin MAC 500's (intelligent/moving lights), which we only had four of for the first weekend.

For the actual services themselves, I had the time of my life. The music was awesome. There was a huge choir with a full band including brass and string instruments which sounded incredible. I could totally cut loose with the lights. There was a decent drama, and a great message. There was a video that got me all choked up. And we had four cameras for iMag (image magnification) two in the house, and two onstage cameras (one roaming).

The end product was worth all the restless and sleepless nights; all the stress and worry; and all the time and energy.

It was an awesome experience to be a part of something really huge and impacting like that.

Who Dey???

Welcome to the Jungle

The Cincinnati Bengals are closer than ever to their first division title in 15 years (sixth overall), as well as closing in on a home-field advantage for the playoffs.

Along with battling the Pittsburg Steelers for the AFC North Division Championship, there's also a chance at second seed in the AFC playoffs. A lot of things need to go their way in order to beat out the Denver Broncos for that slot. A second seed would mean a week off for the bengals plus home-field advantage.

Meet Hero

Let me introduce you to "Hero". I created him on a fun little website where you can customize a "Sonic The Hedgehog-like" character.

In other news... my life is once again non-hectic - at least for a week... maybe two. A full report on what I've been up to will come later. Probably tomorrow. It's been exciting, frustrating, tiring, fun, amazing, fulfilling past week or two.

Until then go create one of your own.

Three Words

Worried. Stressed. Tired.

Update: 12.02.05 | I'm not worried anymore... not as much stressed... still tired.

Tired

Man will I be glad when this week is over!

Well, back to work.

RENT

I had the opportunity to see the new movie RENT this weekend. It's a movie adaptation of the Broadway musical. It was fantastic. Most of the original Broadway actors reprised their roles. Only two did not... and they were as terrific as the rest of the cast. The translation to the big screen was made well by director Chris Columbus.

A lot of the shorter songs that were sung in the stage version were changed to dialogue for the screen version. The first couple of times this occured, it took my by surprise and I was mildly disappointed, but I soon adjusted to it, and was able to enjoy the rest of the film... and did I ever!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself the entire length of the movie. I never looked at my watch, and I was very engaged in what was going on. One of the best things for me was that I could see facial expressions of the actors, as well as getting to see most of the original actors playing the parts that I fell in love with when I first heard the music.

An excellent made film, wonderfully acted, and beautifully directed... definitely a must-buy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I'm shutting down my computer and heading North to visit the family. I hope everyone has a very safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. Whether it being a simple meal with your immediate family, or a huge brew-ha-ha with cousins, grandparents, aunts & uncles, and relatives you hardly ever see, or didn't know about!

Done

11:00pm. We finished strike for A Christmas Story. It only took us an hour and a half to fully break down the set and load it into the truck. I got an interesting taste of tour life. I really think it'd be fun to be either cast or crew on a truck and bus tour. At least for a while.

As I sort of mentioned in a previous post, we performed in Somerset, KY tonight. Somerset is the town I grew up in, and I was really surprised to see so many people I knew after the show. Some of my mom's friends who would always come to see me in shows when I still lived in Somerset came to see the show.

A friend of mine that I knew in High School actually came to see the show. I kind of give her a little bit of credit for getting me into acting. Her name (at the time) was Krista Brown... not sure if she's married or not, now.

One of the most awesome people I knew from growing up in Somerset was a girl by the name of Katie Gregory (now Wood). She was a lifeguard at the pool I grew up near. Now she's a judge. It was so awesome to see her, as well as all the people that came to see the show that I knew!

Almost Home

One more performance, load-out, and a night at Hampton Inn, and I'm home free. I've really enjoyed my time here, but it'll be good to get back home. A lot of things in the works, and I need to get working on them.

A Christmas Story

Y'know... the story about Ralphie and his Official Red Ryder 200 Shot Carbine Action Range Model Air Rifle (BB Gun)?

The Show opens tonight for public audiences in Prestonsburg, KY.

Showtimes:
- Friday, November 18, @ 7:30pm at the MAC
- Saturday, November 19, @ 7:30pm at the MAC
- Tuesday, November 22, @ 7:00 at The Center in Somerset, KY

I play a few roles in the show. The main one is SCUT FARKAS, the yellow-eyed bully. I also play Black Bart and a random Santa's Elf. Come out and see the show, it's a great one to take the family to!

Check out either www.macarts.com or www.centertech.com for ticket information and to double check showtimes.

Batch of Firsts

The past few days have been pretty packed here in Prestonsburg. I've been busy helping to get the set finished on time. Over the past days, I've done a few interesting things that I've never done before.

- Wallpapered a room
- Layed down linoleum
- Installed a door
- helped build a staircase

I found most of it to be a lot easier than I had anticipated, which is great.

In other news... sort of... A Christmas Story opened this morning to hundreds of anxious kids in our first of many school matinee performances. We're all pretty proud of this show, especially since many of the actors put a lot of blood and sweat into the set, too.

A new bit for me this year is at the top of ACT II. I'm one of Santa's "elves" that help the kids see Santa, and keep the line of kids flowing. It's one of my favorite on-stage moments of the show!

I'm slightly dreading tomorrow's performances, though... and yes, I did say performances (plural). Tomorrow we have 3 (count 'em) shows. Two school matinee shows, and one evening public performance. It should prove interesting. I just hope the kids (and some of the adults) don't expend all their energy in the first two shows, so that the general public audience gets their money's worth.

OUCH!

Still in Prestonsburg... week two. This weekend the scenic designer for the show came in to work on the set a bit. The set had been built (mostly) off-site at Morehead University's Theatre Department. There was still a LOT to do. I went in to help on Saturday, thinking that I would be painting... ended up building. Worked about eight hours on Saturday (after rehearsal and posting here).

As I was leaving work, I turned my ankle. It was by far the most pain I can remember being in. Luckily, I was still able to walk on it. I woke up Sunday morning and was barely able to stand.

I knew how much work needed to be done on the set, so I went in around 11:00am to help out more, hobbling around on my one good leg. We worked for a few hours then loaded the set into the budget truck to take it to the actual performace space. We made sure everything was labeled properly in order to put it back together correctly.

At the MAC we unloaded the truck, put the set back together... and kept working. We finally finished for the evening around 10:00pm. A full 11 hours of work... yikes! It felt like the hours I'm used to putting in during the JWT's summer season.

Today, my ankle feels a little better, not quite as stiff... but still pretty painful to walk on. Hopefully, it'll start feeling better in the next day or two.

Take a Hike, eh?

I did just that. Thursday, a couple friends and I hiked all over Jenny Wiley State Park. There are several hiking trails setup through the mountains and along the lake. The total trek was around 6 miles... and there were a lot of steep uphill legs. It was great. The weather was perfect, the trees were beautiful, and the exercise was invigorating! Just another reason why I love coming back to Prestonsburg year after year.

That night a few of us went after rehearsal to the Holiday Inn which hosts a comedy club every Thursday night (for the last 17 years). They get some great comedians, none I've ever heard of, but my face and stomach always ends up sore at the end of the sets from laughing so hard. After the comedians are done, it turns into kind of a "club scene", which is cool. It's really fun to watch the "mating-rituals" happen on the dance floor.

On a last note... welcome Mikey back to the blogging scene!

How Cool am I?

The fun never stops here in grand ole' Prestonsburg. Last night to stave off the boredom after rehearsal, I trekked to Wal-mart and bought a puzzle. Not just any puzzle, mind you, but a Puzz-3D. Y'know, the puzzle where you put together a building or something like that.

Last night I bought the Notre Dame (pronounced Nohtra Dahm, not Noter Dayme) set. Started building it around 10:00pm, went to bed around 2:30 with it only half-finished... woke up this morning around 11:00am and finished it by about 1:30pm. It's pretty neat. I was hoping it would take me a bit longer, though... as now I'm back to not having anything to do in my off hours. Sigh.

It Begins

Reporting to you Live from Prestonsburg, KY.

Well, I'm all settled in here at Jenny Wiley again. The place looks pretty much like I left it. I'm actually amazed that the leaves are still on most of the trees, yet. The past couple of falls I've worked here, it's been very dead. But actually, right now it's very beautiful. Lots of Autumn-y colors, and the temperature outside during the day is very pleasant.

Friday I arrived, stopped by the office to visit for a few minutes, then went to the house, unpacked and grabbed a few groceries.

On Saturday, we had our first read through of the show. Most of the people are the same as last year, and it was kind of like a family reunion. That night a few of us went to Reno's for a drink and some food.

Sunday, Beth, Heather, and myself went to see a matinee movie... Chicken Little. It was REALLY good. Far better than I expected. It was one of those movies where I thought I would enjoy it and be entertained, but didn't expect much else. That night we had our second read through of A Christmas Story.

Right now, I'm just hanging out at the Floyd County Public Library and moochin' their high-speed internet access. I feel kinda technologically naked without my computer and all my bookmaks, etc.

Heading Out

Well gang, I figured I'd post one more time before I shut my computer down to head out to Prestonsburg. If I have the opportunity, I'll post a couple times in the next couple weeks. I won't have readily available internet access for that time, though... so who knows? And maybe I'll be too busy to post anyway... we'll see.

Until then... take care and God Bless.

Trendy... Me?

Still reporting on location at LiveWire Cafe.

I'm feeling very trendy right now. I just got up from my table to goto the restroom, and when I returned, I noticed several people (other than myself) sitting around the room with laptop computers open and working on them. Very internet-cafe' cliche'.

IM

maxx7736: You have got to read this! Link
Scott: uhm...
maxx7736: yep
Scott: ... wow...
maxx7736: yep
Scott: ... i need to bathe.

Ahh... Home

Reporting to you, on location from LiveWire Cafe in beautiful downtown Richmond, KY.

Ah... I love LiveWire. Friendly people, nice environment, wonderful beverages, and free wireless internet. Just stopping in for a bit after running some final last minute errands around Richmond.

Tomorrow, I leave for two and a half weeks for beautiful Prestonsburg, KY! *cough* Actually, in the fall and winter it's really dead and depressing there, at least scenic-ly speaking. I'll be working at good ole' JWT again this season for their production of "A CHRISTMAS STORY". Most of the cast is the same as last year, so I'll get to see some familiar friends and faces. I'll be reprising my role of SCUT FARKAS, the yellow-eyed bully.

What's really cool this year, is that we're doing three shows in Somerset (my hometown) at the Center Theatre (Center for Rural Developement). It's where I first got my start in theatre and I haven't performed on that stage in over 7 years. It should be a real treat.

Photo of the Moment

This is either totally awesome, or extremely frightening.

Sent to me by Bub.

Two Eleven

I saw gas priced at $2.11 at a BP on Winchester Road today. ROCK!

I purchased gas for $2.14 at Speedway on Todds Road, Monday. It was the first time in several months that I didn't spend over $30 for a tank of gas. Whoo hoo!

News of Note

Puh-lease. -he says with disgust. An article on CNN's website about cartoon violence and the G rating for movies.

Now the Christians are offended thanks to Winter Lights.

Do you think they know what "that" means?

Okay, everyone in Italy didn't get the memo about Halloween.

Weekend Turn-around

This weekend took an unexpected, but welcomed turn from what I had planned. Originally I was going to head up north to visit my mom for the weekend, but I ended up staying in Lexington to help out at church. On Saturday morning, I got a phone call from my good friend Ben. He was in town from Nashville with his girlfriend Rebekah. So after the Sat. evening service, we met up at Starbucks to hang out and catch up. It was really great to connect with him again.

Sunday was spent at church til noon, and then I enjoyed the afternoon to myself watching Family Guy and Simpsons DVDs, as well as working on the "secret project".

I know Monday isn't really part of the weekend, but... well... who cares. Monday was spent at church getting our new intelligent fixtures (Martin MAC 500s) ready for the demonstration of our new lighting control system (happening later this morning), and then I met up with friends Dustin & Katie for a movie, some dinner, and to watch the Steelers vs. Ravens game on TV.

Project update

Okay so the "design" part is complete, and I've created all the necessary images to mesh with the code... and I'm probably about half-way finished writing the code. This is all pretty exciting. My part of this project should be done in the next few days. And then it's just a matter of time before the "secret project" is fully revealed.

Updated Update - Okay... I've hit a snag. :(

Updated - Updated Update - FIXED!!!!!

How To

Make a British Flag from Scratch

Below are illustrations to show the process I took to build the flag. By the way, I used Photoshop for this.

First I started out with a blue background [fig 1]. Next I created the red cross [fig 2] which are two rectangles, one vertical, one horizontal. Then I added the white borders to the red cross [fig 3]. Next, [fig 4] I added the thick white diagonal bars followed by [fig 5] layering the smaller red diagonals on top of the white diagonals, while making sure the white borders from fig 3 overlapped those (see fig 6). Finally, I added a wavy texture and some shadows to make it feel more 3-D [fig 7].


Fig 1 Fig 5
Fig 2 Fig 6
Fig 3 Fig 7
Fig 4

Made from Scratch

I'm too proud of this to NOT post it. Check out this awesome British flag I made from scratch!

New Project!

I'm very excited about a project that I started working on tonight. I'm working on designing a new blog template for someone. I can't release details right now, but even I'm impressed with this one. Unfortunately the easy part is done, and the difficult and bulk of the work is still to come.

I took a cue from someone I worked with on a show once [Alex] who is a graphic artist for a web design company with his wife [Heather] pounding the code into submission. He designs in graphical medium such as Photoshop, and then his wife takes the image and writes the code to make it all to what they want. [Check them out at HeatherandAlex.com]

Updates

I've just recently discovered that Music Box Girl may be down... but not out. Apparently some deal went bad and she's hiding out from the authorities until the time is right... and when it is... she'll be back, oh yes, she will be back. Possibly under an assumed name or an alias. Y'know, to throw the flat-foots off the trail.

The Random Photos on my sidebar is back up and running, with a few changes due to laziness and not liking the way a couple photos looked.

Dwindle

Sad days ahead in the blogging world. Two more of my old favorites bite the dust. The total number of blogs I've ever linked to is 13. Listed bellow:

Stephanie - Life of the Phoenix
Music Box Girl
Dustin McClain - Life of an Eternal Colonel
Patrick Drury
Jeff Baynham - Chicken Scratch
Geron Brown - Why Would We Care
Tommy Glascock - Tommy's Generic Blog
Mr. Hibbity Gibbity
Erin Adams - Life of a Drama Mama
Katie Winebarger (McClain)
Ben Stewart
Mike Tuttle
Jon Adams

And now, I only list 5. The reason? They are the only ones to update regularly, that link to me, or that still have a blog at all. The rest either just don't post, delete their blogs, or don't like me for reasons they think are true.

Folks in my circle like myself, Patrick, Jeff, Geron, and Dustin are left to carry the torch.

Sad days...

Week End Review

I had a pretty great weekend.

Friday night, Steph and myself went looking for Halloween costumes for a party we were going to. She came up with a fun idea to dress up together as some kind of theme. She came up with the great idea to go as Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Dr. Suess' The Cat in the Hat. So we went to Walmart, grabbed a few things, and went back to her house to make the costumes (while watching Smallville, which I take the credit for getting her hooked on).

Saturday, I did lights at church and then drove down to Richmond to get ready with Steph and head to the party. We did makeup to look like "Whos" but mine came out looking like Lion-O from ThunderCats. At the party we ALMOST won the costume contest, we lost to Frankenstein and his Bride. The party was great, and I got to catch up with some friends I haven't seen in a while.

Sunday came way too early after a late night at the Halloween party. I ran lights for the three services at church, which this weekend were a preview of a new type of service for when the new building opens. It's really a great idea, and I think it'll work well. After the 11:40 service, there was a cookout and games - but I didn't get to stay, I was meeting some friends to watch the Steelers/Bengals game that afternoon. My friend Dustin is a Steelers fan, so we decided it would be fun to make an afternoon of it... y'know, chips, snacks, drinks, football, etc. Unfortunately, the Bengals lost (see sidebar "Bengals Watch"), but the company was great, and we had fun watching the game. That evening we had dinner, hung around the house a little while, and then I headed home.

Muddy Waters

Right now, there's so much going on in my head that it's very difficult to form any kind of cohesive thought.

Over the past couple of days, I have definitely realized and learned some things about myself. I have some regret, some bitterness, some newfound respect, some happiness, and so on. A little of everything in a way.

A couple things I know and CAN form in some sort of solid wording, is that I have amazing friends. As well as a realization of respect and appreciation for those closest to me, and many more friends.

I wish I could more specific, but right now, my head is murky with the plethora of information that is swirling in there. And as for the thoughts I WOULD be able to relay... now is not appropriate, nor via blog. Sorry.

News of Note

This just in... from around the net.

This just takes the fun out of it.

High-tech cows.

You'll have the cake? Frustrated?

Ladies, keep up the good work. We appreciate it.

The "Down" Side

Among other things, a big bummer of being single and not living near any close friends or family is that there's no one to take care of you when you feel "yikky".

Quote of the Moment

"Guiness... I find it a refreshing substitute for... food."

Atlanta, GA - part II

Okay, the first Atlanta post event was really a cool side-note for my trip to Georgia. The real reason for being there was to design lights for a good friend of mine, Mark Smith. He and his wife (Bethany) have been good friends of mine since the summer of 2001.

This project was John Henry by a writer named John Hardy. This is the third of Hardy's plays that I've worked with Mark on (the first I performed in, the last two designed for) and the fifth overall project (see resume). Mark works for a Christian School near Atlanta called Landmark Christian School as their theatre teacher and director.

John Henry was a fairly easy project to work on. It's a small one-act show, actually only took 6 hours to complete from the time I stepped inside the building to the time the last cue was recorded. Small space + small show = easy setup.

Aside from the work, I actually got to visit with Mark and Bethany (and Biscuit!) some, which is always a blast.

Atlanta, GA

On Friday afternoon, I left my friends in Valdosta, and headed North to Atlanta to meet up with Stephanie and Chris. Chris is a member of the Kings Singers and was touring in Atlanta that day... Steph came down to visit with him on a couple of their American tour stops.

I arrived in Atlanta around 3 or 4 ish, and met up with them at their hotel. This hotel was pretty swank. In the lobby there was a bar, foosball table, pool tables, and a shuffle board table. We had the most fun with the shuffle board table. Now, I know, when I say shuffle board you think of older folks on vacation or on a cruise ship shoving pucks down a long concrete strip with a stick. Well, this was different... it was a table, the pucks were smaller, and there were no old people. After a couple games of shuffle board we went to hear Chris and the Kings Singers perform. They were REALLY tight, and really amazing.

Afterwards, the group that was hosting them had a reception for them back in the lobby of the hotel. The group was a bunch of chorale alumni of a college, and treated us to an acapella version of Circle of Life, which was really good. After that, the reception dwindled down, and Chris, Steph and I returned to play some more pool and shuffle board. About midnight they retired to their rooms, and I hit the road to try to find a hotel.

All-in-all, it was really a lot of fun... of course with the company I was with, it's difficult NOT to have fun.

The Realization

Okay, so here's the realization...

I figured it doesn't really matter if I tell people... especially in a very generic sort of way. So here goes:

Whilst down in Valdosta, I met a friend of a friend. After meeting said friend (need I say the friend was female?) I decided that she would be someone I would be interested in. So, later, I asked about her. The response was, "she has a boyfriend". Okay, so with that touch of back-story, here we go. My friend pointed out that I always seem to go for ones who are (for all intents and purposes) taken.

Later, I mentioned this phenomenon to another friend, and they totally agreed. Now here's the kicker, we realized that I do this even before finding out if she has a boyfriend.

Now... Committee... I present this to you. Why do I do this? What would cause me to do this? Also, any other comments or remarks will be eagerly received.

Valdosta, GA

Reporting to you on location in Atlanta, GA!

Part one of my week-long trip to the Peach State was awesome!! I went down I-75 as far south in Georgia as you can go without actually being in Florida. There in the town of Valdosta, I met up with three of my friends that I met at grand ole' JWT; Fiona Farrell, Sheanna Tobey, and John Hemphill. These people are some of the coolest and nicest people I know.

First off, I went to see the closing night of "NEVERMORE", a show Fiona Assistant Directed and Hemphill designed the lights for at VSU. It was a really great show. I'm quite proud of both of them. After the show we all went and did what we do best... we headed over to a really cool bar in town called O'Corley's. Got to meet a bunch of the gangs friends... most of whom were really cool and made me feel very welcome to be there.

The next day was spent sleeping in/recovering from the night before... but for dinner my friends and I went to Mori's, a really good Hibatchi/Sushi place. We STUFFED ourselves, tried going to O'Corley's again... but all the good food made us too groggy to enjoy.

Also, while in Valdosta, I came to a shocking realization about myself... one that's very puzzling. I've got some of the best minds on the issue right now. It should go to committee soon, and then hopefully in two or three years I'll have an answer.

Quick Vent

Something that always has bothered me is ignorance. Not just ignorance, but a seeming desire to remain ignorant. I learned about a particular piece of ignorance yesterday, and while it doesn't really "bother" me, it has been on my mind a lot since I learned of it. So, I'm engaging in a quick therapy session ala venting on my blog.

The particular bit and kind of ignorance I'm thinking of is EASILY remedied. "How?" you may ask... well, let me tell you. Ask questions. This method will accomplish finding the truth out about a topic, hands-down... especially if it envolves a person.

The kind of ignorance that I talk about is the kind that spreads rumors and gossip. "But, Scott... why do people want to do this?" Well, some people like to be the person that "knows everything"... some may call them a "know-it-all"... most of the time, in fact, they know very little. Often, if they disagree with something, instead of presenting information to a second party to show them how they came up with their opinion or their conclusion, they simply will degrade the other person or their statement with unintelligent remarks (for example: "that's just dumb", or "you're an idiot").

Ahh... thanks for listening.

News of Note

This just in... from around the web.

Mosquitos with glowing gonads

Missing Cow - Fowl Play Suspected

Snake vs. Cat

Artificial Replacement Dog Testicles

Snake vs. Cat (Snake Wins)

Bengals Win Streak Ends

With their best start since 1988, Cincinnati lost their first game this season after a 4 game winning streak. The Jacksonville Jaguars played a solid game against the Bengals, while Cincinnati showed that they are indeed a different team than years past. Previous Cincy teams would have collapsed under the pressure or given up at a 7 - 20 deficit in the 3rd quarter. But the Bengals rallied back with two field goals within 3 minutes in the 3rd quarter and a touchdown pass in the 4th. Unfortunately Cincinnati couldn't finish off the 2-minute drill with 2:42 remaining in the final quarter, barely losing to Jacksonville 20 - 23.

Jack Turns Two!

Two years ago today, I posted my first post with Blogger. Two years later, I have my own domain name and host my blog there. A lot of great memories. More to come!

News of Note

A life and death struggle with Gator vs. Snake.

Facts about Quicksand.

No more backing up with this car.

Bengals' Games of Note

Okay, I know I'm going on a lot about the Bengals lately, but I'm really proud of my team... so back off! Just kidding. Here's some cool facts and stats about the notorious underdogs...

January 10, 1982 - The Bengals defeated the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game, 27-7, the coldest game ever played in NFL history. The wind chill factor brought the game-time temperature down to -50 degrees Fahrenheit (-45 degrees C). The Bengals' offensive linemen were on the field with their standard sleeveless jerseys in an effort to intimidate a Charger team more accustomed to the warmer California weather.

November 16, 2003 - By week 11 of the 2003 regular season the Kansas City Chiefs were the only remaining undefeated team in the league, at 9-0. The Bengals were the losingest NFL team between 1990 and 2002, and at the time had a record of only 4-5 under rookie head coach Marvin Lewis. Chad Johnson, Cincinnati's 2nd-year wide receiver, made headlines with a pre-game guarantee that the Bengals would win the game [2]. The Bengals went on to beat the Chiefs, 24-19. The team missed the playoffs by two games but finished the season at 8-8, their first non-losing campaign since 1996.

October 25, 2004 - With much fanfare from Cincinnati residents, Monday Night Football returned to Cincinnati after a fifteen-year absence. In their first MNF appearance in twelve years, the Bengals (1-4) were matched against the Denver Broncos (5-1), whose defense was ranked number one in the NFL. Considered a long shot, the Bengals defeated the Broncos, 23-10.

September 24, 2005 - Forcing five interceptions the previous week against the Vikings and five more this game against the Bears, the Bengals accomplished a feat that had not been done in 34 years. The last team to have back-to-back games with 5 or more interceptions was the 1971 Browns.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_Bengals

WHO DEY?

Bengals 4 - 0

Bengals win again!

The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Houston Texans 16 - 10 this afternoon. This one came down to the last few minutes in the 4th quarter as a close call, and after (admittedly) a questionable call by the referee.

Another Friday

Not to be confused with "Friday" or "Next Friday" or "TGIFriday".

12 hours (11:00am - 11:00pm);
22 episodes of Friends (1/2 from season 2, 1/2 from season 3);
3 Sprites;
1 peanut butter and jelly (on toast) sandwich;
3 granola bars;
2 Ovaltine chocolate milk drinks;
1 Cinnamon Chai Latte from Starbucks;
1 1/2 hour conversation with a friend;
and 8 loads of laundry (2 whites, 2 lights, 2 darks, 2 jeans).

This is how I spent my Friday, September 30, 2005.

Exciting, no? Productive, eh?

Fall Releases

Here's a BUNCH of stuff I'm getting excited for in the next couple of months!

Release Dates:
Stargate SG-1; Season 8 (DVD) --- Oct 4
Fable: The Lost Chapters (Xbox) - Oct 18
Point Pleasant (DVD) ------------ Oct 25
Friends; Season 10 (DVD) -------- Nov 15

Gas Myths

No, I'm not talking about uncle Louie's dinner time musical stylings... I'm talking about Automotive Gasoline. I found this link on Patch's blog, and found it to be quite informative. It's all about getting good gasoline mileage.

What Really Saves Gas

Horse Hockey

Due to the graphic nature of tonight's episode of THE OFFICE, WLEX-TV has chosen not to air the show.

Crap.

They Say It's Your Birthday

Happy Birthday, Stephanie

Go Bengals!

For the past 14 years, the Cincinnati Bengals have had sub-par seasons. Not since 1990 (the last time they were in the playoffs) have they started out this well. The best part about these wins is that've not been "just barelys" or "lucky calls". The team has been playing well both offensively and defensively. But they're keeping very level heads about the whole thing. Realizing that there's still 13 games in the season left to be played.

Want to read more? Check out some of the following news articles:

Bengals All The Rage After Breakthrough Win
CINCINNATI (AP) - Carson Palmer piles up the touchdown passes. Chad Johnson does jigs and push-ups in the end zone. The defense picks off five passes per game. These Bengals are nothing like their legacy. They don't self-destruct. They don't wallow in self-pity. And, they don't lose. Instead... [more]

Bengals 24 - Bears 7
CHICAGO (AP) - The Cincinnati Bengals picked up the habit of bumbling starts after 1990, the last time they started 3-0 and made the playoffs. On Sunday, they broke it - with a 24-7 victory over the Chicago Bears. Cincinnati, which entered the game with a league-leading 10 takeaways... [more]

Pitching Tents

Found this video clip on another blog today. Too funny NOT to share.

Fixed...

well, mostly.

My design portfolio and resume are finally finished and adjusted to the *ahem* "new" style. The only thing missing is the final navigation between the portfolios and resume. Finished for now.

Too Cute for their Own Good

Bunnies aren't just cute like everybody supposes,
They've got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses.
And what's with all the carrots-?
What do they need such good eyesight for anywa - y?
Bunnies, bunnies it must be bunnies!
- Anya; Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling

Here's what happens when Bunnies just can't take being cute any more.

Housekeeping

Well, I figure I'll start getting some time on my hands again now that I've got my home situation mostly under control again. The past two weeks have been spent cleaning, unpacking, rearranging, and moving. I'm getting another roommate, and my current roommate and I have been getting the place organized and ready for a third person to be living here.. trying to make room and all that.

As of today, I'm finished. What that means is next week, I look for some part time employment to pay the bills (been living off the last couple of paychecks from my summer gig).

Also, I've been thinking about working on my site again... not changing the look of it... but getting EVERYTHING working the way it should or at least the way I want it to. When you've been out of practice from HTML and CSS for a few months it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming to even think about looking at the code again. I think my mind is finally ready to wrap itself up in dozens of lines of HTML and CSS.

Conversation: Strange but True

The names have been changed to protect the wierd. This conversation happened on AIM and has been in no way altered.

Friend: There is a company marketing "Disposable Travel Underwear". You wear them one time and then toss them.
Me: uh... what...
Friend: You disposable underwear, one time use. ;)
Friend: That was suppose to say "You know..."
Friend: dang brain and fingers.
Me: ... that's ... special
Friend: no cooperation
Me: do... do they like... uhm... fall apart after one day... or what?
Friend: no, but I think they are made of the kind of material that the sides of diapers are made of. So you wouldn't want to try to wash them. But I guess you could wear them more than once if you really wanted to.
Me: ...

----- End of Conversation -----

Top Ten

The Top Ten... Reasons I'm Glad to Be Back

10. Cable Television.
9. Movie Theater's have matinees in the middle of the week.
8. Qdoba.
7. Kripy Kreme.
6. Miyakos (japanese steakhouse - great sushi).
5. Starbucks.
4. LiveWire coffee house.
3. High Speed internet access.
2. My church family.
1. I'm only 20 minutes away from my two best friends.

New Toys!!

I had a really cool Saturday afternoon today. As many of you know (or may not know), I started an internship with my church. I'm a technical intern helping with the "production" aspect of the services. Also as you might know, our church is building a new building (which is actually attached to the old one and integrated). For the new space, the church is upgrading some of their equipment or buying new stuff altogether. Some of the new gear they bought was for video. New cameras and a new switchboard, etc. Very good quality stuff.

My main focus in my internship is lighting (since that's my background), but to avoid complete boredom, I sort of branched out today. Today I got a chance to "play" with some of the new "toys". I became a camera operator for tonight's service... it was LOADs of fun. The only bad thing was the camera was setup so high and almost against a wall so I had to crane my neck to see the monitor most of the time, but it was worth it.

Hopefully this becomes an occasional thing and not just a one-shot deal.

What's the Buzz?

'Tss. Tss. Tss. Goo-kah-ku.'

Okay, so not many people will actually get that whole little beginning bit... but, it doesn't really matter, huh? :)

Anyway - just catching up on a bit of blogging. I'm pretty bad about telling people things and keeping in touch most times, so it's just as easy to post the minor updates and things here. So here goes.

In the past two weeks, I started my part-time position as an intern at my church. So far I've helped pull wires/cables through our new expansion, and figured out a decent plot and number of light fixtures to purchase, also helped bat around different solutions about accessibility vs. "new toys". In the spare time I've been eating, sleeping, and cleaning/organizing. I need to re-organize my room to accomodate a new roommate that I'm getting. The church hired another intern, so my current roommate and I are getting things ready to make room for all of us.

Aside from those things I purchased Season 4 of Smallville (excellent show) and I'm about 1/2 way through the six disc set. Today has been a major day of cleaning and going through things, so I put Season 8 of Friends in so I wouldn't be too distracted. :)

Anyway... back to the grind.

Tag!

Okay, I found this on a friend's blog, and although he didn't tag me, I took some initiative and started it out for myself.

10 years ago: (1995) I was a Junior in High School with plans to goto college and play in the UK pep band with a degree in Computer Science. (blah)

5 years ago:(2000) Moved to Richmond; switched my major; and met one of my two best friends.

yesterday: I had lunch and Starbucks with above friend from 5 years ago; played a computer game; met with the T.D. at my church to talk about my internship there; watched some Stargate: SG-1; and went to bed.

5 snacks I enjoy: Oreos (w/a glass of milk); Chips & Salsa; Swiss Cake Rolls; String Cheese; and Wheat Thins w/Beer Cheese.

5 songs I know all the words to: The Happy Birthday Song; Every New Day by Five Iron Frenzy; Super Rad by The Aquabats; Scenes from an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel; and Good Riddance by Green Day.

5 things i would do with 100 million dollars: Buy a house; Buy a car; Buy a computer; Donate to Charities (this includes friends); and invest.

5 places I would run away to: someplace with a body of water; Starbucks (or LiveWire); Mom's; Stephanie's; Dustin's.

5 things I would never wear: Liederhosen (sp?); a fig leaf; clothing made from bubble wrap; any kind of piercing; and a big fruity hat.

5 tv shows that I love: Friends; Family Guy; Stargate SG-1; Smallville; Charmed; and The Simpsons (i know that's 6, get over it!)

5 bad habits: Stopping at Red Lights; Calling People to say Hi; The Heroin; Joan Cusak; and breathing.

5 biggest joys: God; My family; My friends; Theatre; and Life

5 favorite toys: Xbox, iPod, Computer, Digital Camera (photo & video), and Guitar

4 people I'm tagging: Dustin, Patrick, Jeff, Stephanie

Okay... if you got tagged. Just do what I did. Copy down the questions and plop them into your blog and answer them. Or if you don't want to do that or don't have a blog - write the questions and your answers in a comment for this post.

Season in Revue (part III)

The Shows

Beauty & The Beast - Our season started off with this monster of an undertaking. The crew working long hours to prepare the sets, lights, costumes, and sound. The actors working their butts off to provide an amazing two and a half hour evening of entertainment. My favorite memory of the pre-production part of the show was during the Designer's Run, which is basically a final run-through of the show in a rehearsal space (minimal costumes, props, no lights or sound, no set other than a taped outline on the ground, and no orchestra other than a keyboard and an amplifier). Many of the crew had taken the time to actually come to see this run of the show. We sat there in awe. We laughed, we were amazed at the quality of the performance that had been set before us.

We were challenged.

At the end of the run, we had a production meeting, and all of the crew was just floored and were in 100 percent agreement - we've got to make things happen! The lighting and set designer added a few more elements at the last minute in order to give the set a bigger and much more fantastical feel. This show was going to be phenominal in the performance, and the technician's knew they had to step up to the plate and put out a product that could compliment the performance.

The end product was amazing. By far the best show we presented this summer. Of course there was fear going on that everyone burned themselves out getting this show on it's feet, which would make getting the next show up just as big of, if not greater, challenge.

Jesus Christ Superstar - This was a fantastic show, a lot of emotion, great dancing, talented singers, with just a little bit of artistic license taken. Although some license was taken, the show stayed pretty much true to the story. I think it was a bit too heavy of a show for our type of audiences, even though we generally do get a lot of church groups coming to see our shows, people want more to be entertained than to be challenged. And the "rock concert" style of the show was probably too much for the people who came to see the story of the last seven days of Jesus' life.

This show should have been an easy build, but the crew - due to some poor leadership and exhaustion - was worn out and morale was pretty low, despite the brave faces they showed. This show ended up feeling like a much bigger task than it should have been.

Steel Magnolias - Many people think of Steel Magnolias as the movie with Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, and Olympia Dukakis. Well, before it was a movie, it was a play. I saw this play when I was very young - actually it's the first play I remember seeing, and it was well before the movie came out. It is a wonderful story revolving around six women and set in a beauty shop.

The actresses in this show all did a fantastic job portraying women who were already made famous by some top actresses in Hollywood, yet bringing a touch of their own flair and personality into the mix to really own the characters. I could only see this show a limited number of times, and it just got better each time I saw it.

Isn't It Romantic? - This fourth installment special event became a new tradition in 2002, and has gone through the incarnations of New York, New York!; Hooray! For Hollywood; 40 Years in Revue; and Isn't it Romantic? I've been lucky enough to design lights for each. And each concept that Scott Bradley has come up with has been fresh and fun. This year was no different. The concept this year was that the show was to be an extension of the yearly Gala/Dinner event that happens before the show. The actors/actresses all mingled with the audience, and slowly filtered onto the stage to begin the "show". It's been one of the most fun cabarets that JWT has done since their beginnings.

Season in Revue (part II)

The People

I made a lot of great friends this summer, I never really found myself depressed, and I enjoyed many people's company, but mostly that of my house-mates. Where to start?

Fiona Farrell - The PSM (Production Stage Manager), also acted much like the mom of the house. This is the 3rd season I've worked with her, and I just become more impressed each time. She does a fantastic job of dealing with the actors and all the pressures associated with her job. She's also one of the most loyal people I've met, as well as being one cool chick. Oh yeah, did I mention that she cooked for us most of the time? She's going to make a great mom one day. And that fiancee of hers is a lucky man!

Sheana Tobey - Actress, is an incredible person. She is one of the kindest and sweetest people you will ever meet. Credentials: "Retainer voice", infectious laughter. She is very much a kindred spirit for me. She is such a fun person to watch a movie with - no matter how many times she's seen a movie, she gets very into it. Oh and she makes a mighty mean birthday cake.

David Utley - Scenic Designer, Scenic Charge (head painter), is someone I've known since 2003, but really got a chance to work with him last season at JWT. He and I seemed to bond instantly. Whether our love of movies, quoting and watching all of the FRIENDS episodes, or killing each other endlessly in HALO and HALO 2 brought us together as friends, or something else, who knows. He's an awesome guy with some great values in life. And he plays a mean game of darts.

Sarah Obrock - Actress, is another wonderful person to be around. Another very sweet person, and again, another person who loves to quote movies with you. I think I've had several conversations with her in nothing but miscellaneous movie quotes. She had some of the best moments of the summer, too. We were like brother and sister this summer (with Fiona as the mom) and had some of the most fun pretend fights ever. She's a lot of fun to pick on, too.

John Hemphill - Technician, Sound Engineer, is another incredible guy. Pontoon boats and cookouts were our chief leisure time activity this summer. The man consumes more Diet Pepsi's than a fish drinks water. And he's another person that's going to be a friend for a long time to come.

Eugenia Primis - Actress. I feel that Eugenia and I got a late start on our friendship this summer. But that's due to the all-consuming ideal of love. She and Dave Utley were pretty into each other this summer, and it wasn't until Dave left in the middle of the summer (since his contract was up), that I really got to spend much time with Eugenia. She is another person that is a lot of fun to be around.

Dana Maddox - Actress, Dance Captain. Dana and I got along great. We got to have some of those really cool late night conversations with each other. She tells stories really well because she's so animated. I would crack up at her for hours! Very rarely a dull moment when I was around her. She makes a mighty mean margarita, too!

The people this summer were some of the kindest most down-to-earth people I've ever met. And the above people were just a few of the people I lived/worked with. This was just the tip of the iceberg... but the best tip.

Season in Revue (part I)

Overview

I am finally home from Jenny Wiley Theatre's 2005 Summer Season. Home, but not unpacked. This past season was one of the greatest that I've experienced. The actors/actresses were all very talented, and a great majority of them were very genuine and down-to-earth. The technical crew was all very talented, although not very organized due to some lackluster attitudes and abilities in the upper-echalon, which quickly trickled down into the ranks. Once the poison was removed, the season took a much happier turn for the better.

I truly can't remember a season that I've been involved with that I didn't end up depressed at least once during the summer, or feel very overwhelmed in one way or another... at least until this summer.

At the end of every season I have with JWT, I wonder if it can get any better, or if it has peaked and I'm just setting myself up for disappointment. I especially thought that after my first season. The seasons after that kind of paled in comparrison, and they kind of fluctuated, one worse than the last, the next a bit worse than that, then a bit better then the one before. Of course I always come back, because I love the place and the people there... it's kind of my second home.

This summer was just great. The shows were awesome, and the people were fantastic. I can't wait to see what next season brings!

JWT Summmer Fun - Photos

Hey gang! I just wanted to share with all of you some pictures I took over the summer. I had such a great time, but I'll talk more about that at a later time. For now enjoy all the photos I have... at least the ones that were fit to print. ;)

http://community.webshots.com/user/skipthehero

More 'Tour' Like

So far the "Theatre On Wheels" Tour of "The Hobbit" has been going great. This past week we based ourselves out of Prestonsburg, KY, and toured to Eastern KY schools. We've been staying at the theatre's company housing. Well, starting tomorrow, we'll be basing ourselves out of Richmond, KY, and touring to Central KY schools in Anderson Co., Corbin Co., Danville, and Madison Co. We'll be staying for four nights at the Hampton Inn in Richmond.

Now, this is my third season working with JWT's end of season children's tour. But this is the first time I'm going to get the feeling of being on an actual tour. I guess it's really the hotel stay that's making it feel that way, but still, it's closer than I've been to being on a "real" tour. We got so many Central KY gigs this year from a single Madison Co. performance last year. Word spread.

"The Hobbit" has been well received so far in the Eastern KY venues. We've been bombarded with positive feedback from teachers, principals, and students. The managing director, Martin Childers, has been very pleased so far, I believe. I think relief hit him with the sounds of praises in his inbox.

One more week to go and I return to the "real" world - back to my friends and my church.

I've missed and am going to miss many more people this year than I have in the past. I made a lot of close friends this year. I don't regret it one bit, but it has made saying goodbye this year that much more difficult.

Congratulations, Stephanie!

I just want to send a big Congratulations out to one of my best and dearest friends, Stephanie. She spent the summer in England on an internship, and when she came back she had a big announcement. She's engaged!!! So once again, I say congratulations, Steph (and Chris)! I couldn't be happier for you two!

UPDATE: A big huge "OOPS" on my part. I was so excited that I let the cat out of the bag before Stephanie and Chris had a chance to talk to people personally. I jumped the gun a little... no, a LOT. My apologies to Stephanie and Chris and all the people they were going to tell - for spoiling the surprise. But again, congratulations!

The Last Days

Well, two shows have closed here at Jenny Wiley, and people are packing up their belongings. These are always my least favorite days of the summer, not because of the work - I'm in this "biz" for the work - but because it's a time of goodbyes. And fortunately (or unfortunately if you look at it that way) I have a lot of goodbyes to say this season. I have made more friends from this summer than any previous. It's going to be very difficult to say goodbye to a majority of the people this year. What makes this feeling worse is that I am staying around for two weeks after the regular season ends to Tour Manage the tour that the theatre sends out every year. It's a very small cast, and the house that I live in will seem very empty.

The only that helps me is that I will stay fairly busy until Monday or Tuesday, and that will keep my mind off of the fact that everyone is gone.

Breathing Room

Wow, I've really been kind of busy the past few weeks. It's flown by really fast. I finally have a chance to catch my breath again... Whew.

Let's see over the past weeks, I have went canoe-ing, designed a show, rented a pontoon boat, closed a show, had a birthday (turned 27 on July 29th - sheesh, getting old), participated in Xmas in July, attended a "Wine and Cheese" party, co/co-hosted a "white-trash" theme party, had a "few" drinks, eaten a lot, slept some, worked some shows (6 nights a week), read the new Harry Potter book (fantastic!), bought a digital cam-corder (just today, I'm very excited!), and just generally hung out with friends (new and old).

I bet you're all wondering "What's Next!?"... no? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. Right after the regular season is over, and two-week touring children's show heads out for several parts of Eastern Kentucky. I'm the "Tour Manager" - which basically entails driving 6 (possibly sleep deprived) actors in a big Ford Van, loading in a set, running the show, taking money, loading out the set, and driving to the next school. There's usually two shows a day, and just enough time in between them to grab some fast food before hitting it again.

Then right after that it's time to head back to Lexington and make some more money, and visit all the friends I've neglected the past three months (bad job, me... but then, hey, phone works both ways, huh?).

Post #557

In other news... Blogger finally fixed their post counting feature in the Dashboard. I'm pretty excited. Can't you tell?

On another note, I'm pretty excited about the upcoming year. My work calendar is filling up nicely. I already have booked a couple gigs in Atlanta, GA, again. Another one or two for good ole' Jenny Wiley, and doing the Edge Conference again for my friend Ben Stewart.

In the "off" time, I'll be taking correspondance or internet classes from school, interning at my church, and working part-time at Starbucks. This, of course, is if all goes according to plan.

Bombings Hit Close to Home

I woke up on Thursday morning without a care in the world, sat down in the livingroom where one of my roommates was already watching a 24-hour news channel. As the sleep began to slowly leave my eyes, I focused on the television. There were news reports of bombings in London subways.

I quickly woke up. I knew people in London. What's worse, as I kept watching, I recognized names of places that one particular person I knew passed through everyday. All emotion left me for the next 45 minutes as I tried to call the two London phone numbers of the person I knew over there.

"All circuits are busy at this moment, please try your call later" was the cold voice that came across the line. "LATER IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH," kept screaming in my head. All I could do was alternate between the two numbers I knew to call... and watch the news of the attack. I became more and more numb, doing nothing but dialing the phone and glancing at the television screen hoping to NOT see my friend being wheeled away on a gurney.

Finally I got through on a number. My friend left a message with her boyfriend to let me know she was alright. She had missed the bombing by 10 minutes. She was fine. Relief. So much relief. Thank you. Oh God, thank you!!!

I hung up the phone, with a great weight lifted off my shoulders.. then all the emotion and everything that I had apparently kept under check during those 45 minutes of uncertainty - I cried. I sobbed. I balled like a baby.

The next day I got to talk to her - it felt like one of the best phone conversations I've ever had. And I was so excited to speak with her. She's my best friend. I'm very grateful she's okay. I'd miss her terribly.

Independance Day

Question: What do you get when you mix a pitcher of Margaritas, a dart board, a pool, lots of friends, and fireworks?

Answer: Fourth of July, 2005!!!

This year was a lot of fun. I woke up around noon-ish, my friend from here, Dana, mixed up a batch of home-made margaritas, and we started the day. A couple of games of darts later, I walked to the community pool for a swim. Upon returning from the swim, a small group of people from my cabin drove to Archer Park in Prestonsburg to watch the fireworks. It seems pretty simple, but all-in-all, it was an awesome, fun, and very relaxing day!

Thank God.

Sun, Work, and Fun

Well, the past few weeks have been really good. Two out of the three season shows are up - with the third in rehearsal and being built. Went out on a pontoon (pontoof - haha... sorry, really only I will get that joke) a couple times. Got to zoom around on a wave runner. Had some awesome late-night and pseudo (and non) drunken talks with new friends. Participated in a wedding (not mine). And visited with some friends.

Good times to be had by all.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to my best friend DUSTIN MCCLAIN and his new wife KATIE!

This morning at 10:30, Dustin and Katie stood before God, family, and friends, and declared their dedication and love for each other.

It was a beautiful ceremony. It took place outside in a park in Richmond, KY. The best part was the music they picked. They didn't walk down the aisle to the traditional songs (Canon in D, Bridal March, etc) The songs were all contemporary, and the best was the song for the recesional - "Good Thing" by Reel Big Fish. A really rockin' song.

The reception was held in the banquet hall of the local Best Western. There was food, photo flashes, and fun. I even made Dustin cry with my Best Man speech. It's okay - he made me cry when he gave me my groomsman gift... so it was really an even trade. Of course there were the obligatory cute kids dancing. Although there was no bouquet or garter olympics... which I didn't really think about until just now. The food was great and the decorations were awesome. Katie (and all the bridesmaids) look absolutely beautiful! All of us groomsmen were drop dead sexy in the tuxes that Dustin picked for us to wear. The jackets were long and a little non-traditional, with no collars and no buttons - very sleek and trim.

It was a great time, and I couldn't help but smile during the whole ceremony. I was kind of like a proud poppa, but also super happy and excited about the life, the journey, and the adventure that they've just started together.

Where o where?

Life's been pretty busy in grand old Prestonsburg. We opened Beauty and the Beast last Friday and open Steel Magnolias tomorrow. It's a pretty hecktic schedule, but after tomorrow we get to slow down a notch or two. We have two weeks before Jesus Christ Superstar opens! And then we're pretty well home free for the rest of the season.

I've had a pretty decent time here so far, I get along well with most of the people here... and those I don't particularly care for - well, you'll have to ask me in person. I always seem to find the one or two people every summer that I connect with pretty well, and I've found those people this season as well.

Some of you may hate me, but I was actually in the Lexington area on Monday to "get away" for the day. A couple of the company members and myself went to Dudley's to enjoy a very nice and very expensive dinner out on their patio. It was a lot of fun. Afterwards we dropped into a couple of bars on the main drag. One where we particularly enjoyed ourselves was at a place called "Buster's" where we had a drink, threw darts and shot some pool. Now, I finally know where "The Dame" is that Patch keeps talking about.

Well, I guess I need to get back to work, I guess that's what they pay me for around here. ;) Everyone take care! And feel free to drop me a quick hello via email or call if you feel like it.

later taters

Wedding Bells

As I get older, I see more and more of my friends "growing up", and either talking seriously about marriage or actually tying the knot. Also, I seem to be accumulating more friends who are married. I was noticing this the other day, then I commented it on a friend's blog last night. His reply was - "Yeah... so when are you getting married?"

My response was this:

That's step 7 in an 8 step process.
1) Find a girl
2) Date said girl
3) Figure out if said girl is "the one"
4) Ask the girl's father if it's ok to ask
5) Ask the girl to marry me
6) Be engaged
7) Get married
8) Live happily ever after

Maybe I'm dreaming a lot, but I look forward to the day I get to start on step 2. Will it happen? Who knows...

One Week Down

Thirteen to go!

After the first week at Jenny Wiley, everything is going very smoothly, and all the departments seem to be keeping ahead of the game - which in outdoor theatre is very important, since you never know when the weather will put all your best laid plans and good intentions on hiatus.

We have a really good crew this year, and my assistant is the best I've had. We've worked unoffically together before, and so I know what she's capable of and what her experince level is. It helps a lot to not have to explain and teach every single thing to someone. I don't mind imparting my knowledge, especially if someone is eager to learn - but there isn't always time for a lot of that.

So far, my assistant and I have had it pretty easy, our first two days were a lot of manual labor (good stuff, but man, was I sore later) and then a lot of sitting around cleaning lighting equipment. Next week is our 'turn and burn' week. We will run over 4000 feet of cable, hang over 150 light fixtures, drink over 30 cups of coffee, spend approximately 3500 dollars, and work more than a 90 hour week... but it will all payoff and be worth it in approximately two and a half weeks.

On a side note - tonight I also got a call from my wonderful friend, Stephanie. For those of you that DON'T know - or are just 'tuning in', she's in London, England for the summer on an internship. Anyway - it was really good to hear her voice, I wasn't expecting to get a phone call from her at all this summer, since it's very expensive to call internationally. It put a smile on my face immediately. My face was actually sore at the end of the conversation from smiling the whole time. Well, I've got to log off here for now - need my beauty rest and all that.

- Cheer-i-o <- That one's for you, Chris ;)

JWT - Day One

Just finished my first day of the 2005 Summer Season at Jenny Wiley Theatre. It was good to do some hard work again. Every once in a while, good old fashioned manual labor feels good.

All the tech crew arrived yesterday, and man, I'm really starting to feel old in this line of work. All the crew seems like a really good bunch of people. There are a couple of pseudo-annoying people this summer, but I think I'm learning to tune them out - er - I mean get along with them. But everyone seems ready to work and really has a lot to "bring to the table".

Well, I'm beat - Two more things before I to head off to a quick shower and then to bed. First, if anyone gets curious about when shows are and how much they cost - check out Jenny Wiley Theatre's website.

Lastly, I would love to send many warm wishes and a LOT of prayers to my best friend, Stephanie. She's heading off to London, England for the summer. I'm gonna miss her a lot. Love you, Steph!!!!

I'll buy that!

For a dollar eighty-nine, yeah, I'll buy that!

That's the cheapest I've bought gas for in several months! The Speedway at Exit 104 (off I-75) in Lexington is selling it for that right now. Go quick, hurry, fill up!!!

Focus

UPDATED updates in bold italics

It's really easy for us sometimes to lose focus. I fully believe that people mostly focus on the good in their lives (and in their friend's lives). Sometimes some people have what I'll call a "social hickup" which causes their focus to waiver and then they focus on different things, or the wrong side or notion of a particular thing. Sometimes people even become obsessed about certain things. Sometimes people feel that they have every right to know something that is really none of their business.

Now, even I have been guilty of having a social hickup. I don't think anyone can really say that they haven't, whether it was just for a brief moment, or if it's chronic for some people. The trick is to realize that you have the social hickups, and fix it. Or at least correct what you've done during the social hickup. I'll give you an example from my own life.

A very dear friend of mine (Stephanie) is going away to London (yes, England) for the summer. I had BIG social hickups when I found out about that. Instead of focusing on the good of the excitement on the trip to a foreign country, and how much fun she'll have, I hickuped and thought only about how it would affect me, how much I would miss her this summer. I eventually realized that I was being selfish in my thoughts, and that was my social hickup. Since I realized that, I've been much more supportive and excited for Steph and her trip. I'll still miss her a lot, but I know this experience is going to be awesome for her, especially since she's met a special someone over there... and she'll get to experience all of her joys with him. And I'm incredibly happy for her. And our friendship is stronger for it.

Unfortunately, focus is an easy thing to lose - and only when we realize we've lost it, can we do anything to fix it. I learned this lesson the hard way. I can only hope that everyone doesn't have to. Of course, there are SOME people out there, that just don't get it. Some of you will know who I'm talking about, the rest of you may not. But that's okay. Have a great day, and keep focus!

As per Steph's suggestion - check out Mike's recent post "Pardon Me While..." to see what the "instigation" of this post is all about.

Eulogy for CommentThis

As many of you who read my blog regularly know - I recently switched to blogger's comments system due to a server problem with my old comment host, CommentThis! I originally found out about this service from Patrick Drury. This was the "goto" service before blogger introduced their own commenting system.

After the server problem, I scoured the "how-to" archives at blogger and found a way to preserve the old comments on the old posts while implementing the newer blogger comments on all of the new posts. I also helped a friend to do the same with her blog.

Just a few minutes ago, I went to check on the status of the old comment host, and found the following message.

It looks like the Comment This! service is no more.
It's been a good run, but the hard drive that the Comment This! data resided on died, and is not recoverable. I only received about $160 in donations, and that doesn't even cover my bandwidth for two months, much less replacement hardware. Blogger's comments system works well enough, maybe you should try it.
Regards,
The CommentThis! admin.

P.S. If you want to contact me to praise or complain, you can reach me at:
comments@commentthis.com

Good-bye CommentThis. You've given me a lot of memories over the past year and a half. Thanks.

What's in a Name?

Actual horse's name.

Hoof Hearted

Say that one out loud a couple times.

I was watching one of those "blooper shows" last night on TV, and that was an actual horse's name. And the announcer was like, "Hoof Hearted" in the back!

Hilarious.

Victory is Mine!

Stewie

Which Family Guy Character Are you?
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Which Family Guy character are you?

All Things New

The new design that I've been keeping mostly under wraps is finished. Right now just the blog and bio pages have made the transition. Next will be the design pages, followed by my online photo album, and then the guestbook. Oh, and I've updated the bio page - enjoy. Tell me what you think.

Last Chance

This weekend went amazingly well! This is truly the most fun I've had in a LONG time. I haven't had an actual good vacation in several years. The guys I hung out with this weekend are some of the best. An amazing group of people to go on a trip with. The group was almost TOO laid back - it was tough to get them to make a decision! But it made for a very stress/drama-free weekend.

In attendance were: Dustin McClain (the doomed), Me (the best man), Jarred Winebarger (groomsman), Eric Whitson, Jason Bowles, and Brian Ink.

Here's what we did:
rented:
cabin - (click to see)
van - Chrystler: Town & Country (we rode in style, automatic everything - power sliding doors, windows, etc.)

played:
poker
Halo2
putt-putt
lazertag
ping pong
pool (billiards)
air hockey
raced gocarts

soaked in hot-tub:
combined total - 12 hours

watched:
Shaun of the Dead
Hellboy

bought (at China Bazaar):
soft pellet guns (3)
"samurai" sword

ate:
burgers and dogs, chips, potato salad
steak, baked potatoes, cornbread
ribs, shrimp, chicken, potatoes, fries, onion loaf, bread
bacon, sausage, eggs, waffles

drank:
pepsi, coke, sprite, O.J., milk, water, ginger ale, and other various juices
corona, bicardi O3, Smirnoff Ice, and other various beers/wine-coolers

slept - very little