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!