Smells Like Sunshine

Moody Morning

2012-02-09T10:44:00.006-05:00

I'm on a forced "no-overtime" work schedule at the moment, so here I find myself...at 10:45 A.M. sitting at home. Trying with all my might to be productive, but the the fact that I'm in my pajamas for ages and drinking coffee in bed just makes it so. freaking. hard.

I'm feeling particularly moody this morning as well. With a dash of sadness. If you needed to picture it, imagine a Victorian lady laying over her chaise lounge with an arm over her eyes saying "totally fine. completely fine. I love life." in between small bursts of over dramatic tears. Now I'm no Victorian lady, but I do have a chaise lounge in my room. What? I rock like that. (And it totally came with the room I'm renting....even my living space has a touch of the dramatic.)

Woke up from a dream this morning that was about two good friends doing something that I secretly fear them doing....which just happens to be getting an apartment together. I won't go into any further details about why that's so horrible, just trust me when I say...BAD. It's just made me feel really sad this morning. In the dream, when the one friend told me, I turned my back on her and knew that I couldn't continue to be her friend. I know that if that happened in real life, I'd react the same way. Which again leaves me feeling sad and unsure of what to do with these emotions.

Stupid emotions. I was hoping that, as an adult, you didn't need to struggle with such silly little things. Well you don't actually, it's more like struggling with the super, big horrible things. But no adults will warn you about that when you're younger.

So...to end this post on a happy note...I'll post what always makes me happy. Food. Good food. The kind you need to take a picture of just so you can look at it again later and go..."ahhhhh, so freaking good" and BAM, now in a happy place. My obsession with food might have something to do with the fact that I have Crohn's and that means I have a tumultuous relationship with it. Oh well....

I present to you a Nutella Latte and a delicious croissant from Pound Coffee on Pennsylvania Ave near Eastern Market, in DC. Pretty awesome...and gotta love their croissant sandwiches:

Completely, and utterly, drool worthy. They do good. Although, if you want to eat the sandwich at the same time as having your coffee, I'd highly recommend ordering the sandwich first, then once you get it ordering coffee. Otherwise, you will finish the coffee before the sandwich is made. Sadly, something that is fairly typical in most coffee shops. Doesn't make their Nutella Latte or their sandwiches any less good though. Score.

Mmmm, damn, now I'm hungry...and I was all planning on running at some point today. Oh goals...silly little things...they just in the way of eating.

Single Lady Dinner

2012-02-08T17:35:00.004-05:00

I'm starting a new series of posts called "Single Lady Dinner". It's easy, it's delicious, it really doesn't make a whole lotta sense ( and neither does my singleness...I mean come'on, wtf?) With cooking skills like this I am bound to beating men off with a stick...get ready boys...this is what you could have if I was your lady:

Red wine, cheerios with vanilla almond milk, crispy kale chips with lemon and lots of Kosher salt...mmmmm...and don't think this isn't followed by a brownie and some ice cream. What? That's just how I roll.

xo,

Lovely Little Me

Trip to the ER

2012-01-24T22:02:00.003-05:00

Gotta love the fact that I'm not even out of the first month of 2012 and I've already had a trip to the ER. Thank you Crohn's. You're such a fun disease that has helped me learn so much.

For example...I've been happy these many-a single lady years...I'm not too bothered about finding a significant other. But boy-o-boy, does it suck being single when you have to drive your own ass to the ER and then play the waiting game all by your lonesome. Now I can kind of see the benefit of having a better half. And by "better" I clearly mean one with superior driving skills and the ability to entertain during the multi-hour ER waiting room wait game.

After this trip, I learned that I know my body better than anybody else. I knew I didn't need to go, but when one's Momma is concerned then, by damn, oneself better be concerned or there will be hell to pay. I'm on special drugs for my Crohn's, a little bit o' Entocort and a smidge of Azathioprine. Hey there immune suppressant. So when my body makes any kind of peep...my GI team need to freak out cause bad things can happen.

I'm glad I got checked up, but also glad that I learned I do know my body's signs...even when everyone else is scratching their heads saying "well that shouldn't happen..."

I'm just so special that way. You may now commence being jealous.

New Year

2012-01-19T06:06:00.003-05:00

Wow, my new year post is coming on the 19th? I'm doing reeeeal well with this blogging thing. I can say that, although I haven't been blogging, I've got ideas galore for blog posts, changes to the blog, and videos I want to put up. Just wait...as soon as I learn how to edit video, I've got an epic video for ya'll created on New Year's Eve and just after only two bottles of red wine...genius was created! Now hopefully before the year's end I shall be able to throw that bad boy up.

I've got a lot of hope for this year. I have some resolutions. But I'm not quite the vigilant dictator over my life concerning resolutions that other people are. I've got some very relaxed ideas about what I'd like to accomplish this year. I want good health, better handle on my money, to be a better friend/daughter/sister, and to travel more. Per usual really. My fascination with social media and all it can achieve has been growing so hopefully I can learn more about that kind of stuff. Make some changes over here at my favorite blog. Read more blogs...oh when can I get back into the habit of reading my favorites??

England's also been on my list for this year. I'm not sure in what capacity. I will definitely be visiting again, hopefully in March, though no dates are finalized. I've tossed around the idea of going over to take summer classes or something like that...though that can be almost as expensive as going for a year to get a Master's degree. Oh the choices I can make that will only make me poorer.

I know I definitely want to make some video's about traveling and about DC. Maybe showing things around DC that a British person would want to see or, even better, showing where an Anglophile should go when traveling to this area. That would be much more up my ally, don'tcha think?

Well anyways...I've lost all 3 of my former readers (Mom come back!)...so I shall quietly rebuild and continue to post more and see if I can't draw them back with some delightfulness. So yeah...blogworld...prepare for delight. Cause that's what I'm gonna bring....ummmm....yeah.....

...

Happy New Year!! xx

Recap

2011-11-25T22:11:00.007-05:00

What I've been up to lately... a story told in hazy, poor quality food porn photos...

I'm trying the Paleo diet! And discovering that local sage sausage, with sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes, and poached eggs are too much flavor on one plate...

Oh wait....sushi isn't Paleo because they don't consume soy or rice...? Well shit, screw that, I want my salmon & avocado rolls...addicted.

Also not Paleo....but it's the holiday's so it's allowed. Delicious vegan pumpkin cheesecake and the best coffee in town, thank you Sticky Fingers. You are my non-dairy mecca.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Home with the fam and very thankful that due to some awesome drugs, I can consume dairy in a moderate amount....so of course my plate is 90% dairy infused. Exempting the turkey, cranberry sauce and the pickle....I think.

And since I'm at home, must indulge in Dinosaur BBQ...1/4 rack of ribs and you're just fat, 1/2 rack of ribs and you are the VICTOR. Also...I almost cried over their sweet potato and bacon mash.

Not quite the end of my holiday weekend but capping my night off with a copy of the BBC America Holiday Shopping Guide ("and Mom, I want this, and this, and THIS!") some icebox cookies (ALL DAIRY BABY) and some wine. Good times.

I never really understood the word "diet".

Happy Thanksgiving! xo

Crazy Times

2011-10-25T01:52:00.003-04:00

Life is such a crazy mix. I've had such a good time tonight, after opening night of the first play of my season at work. And I'm in a mood of appreciation. Appreciating the friends I have surrounding me, of the creative people I encounter in my work (check out Anthony Cochrane IMMEDIATELY....seriously in love with his music and composing style...and I am now proud owner of two CD's of music from plays he's worked on at my theatre) and just happy about a lot of things (can I just say....went to a GI doctor today and turns out I'm NOT lactose intolerant...just going through a rough digestive patch...someday I WILL eat cheese again :)...

......but at the same time, last week still sits on my shoulders and it's hard to be too comfortable. When I'm alone, I remember "hey, Ben died on Wednesday.....you know, he'd love this play..." and it just tears me up. I've never had anybody close to me die and I don't know how to think, feel or deal with it. But he comes up in my thoughts almost every day, and I've developed a new kind of perspective. One that has me less stressed at work and about certain relationships because, ya know, in the end....the little things don't matter. It's family, friends and the path you pursue that's important.

....And that's your deep, philosophical thought of the morning...you're welcome!

Cheers!

Pictures from Home

2011-10-08T09:41:00.006-04:00

Just a few pictures from the weekend so far:

As soon as I got home from the 6 hour drive from DC on Wednesday night, this is what I was greeted with....

Salmon Run Riesling and their Chardonnay Riesling...nobody does better Riesling than the Finger Lake Region. NOBODY. Not even Germany.

While I was enjoying the wine with my parents, it soon became apparent that the crazies felt comfortable coming out of the wood work and making their appearance. Or as I like to call it...stalking.

This is Maurice. He is my sister's cat. He wants whatever you are consuming. Even if it's wine. Especially if it's wine. This is definitely a wine household. And more proof of that....

Having some red wine at my favorite Irish Pub in alllllll of New York State. O'Lacy's Irish Pub in Batavia, NY. I love them so much I threw caution to the wind and ate dairy. Because you can't go to O'Lacy's and not have their honey mustard chip dip. Oh and there is definitely dairy in that. But I was already kind of drunk off of two glasses (ahem, I mean goblets) of red wine, so the impending doom surrounding my ill fated choices was no match for my appetite. I had their beef stew for my dinner and it was sooooooo creamy, so delicious, I could only eat a few bites of it. (Then again that may be because I had started the meal with dairy and the bloat may have set in...though again, I was kind of tipsy at that point so it didn't matter much :P)

Today I'm just chillaxin' with the mountain dogs. Oh you haven't heard of them, have you? Yes we have wanna-be mountain dogs in the house. They practice climbing and protecting their castle on an hourly basis....

Outside of screeching at them to get down, I've got nothing planned but relaxing....oh and visiting the best wine shop ever and stocking up. And drinking apple cider made by local farms. And reading. It's good to be home. Now I need to go distract my mother, who is sorely disappointed that there is no police blotter in this weeks Pennysaver....she reads it every week so she regal me with stories later about which one of my high school classes mates has been arrested and what stupid thing they did to get themselves incarcerated.

Ahhh home. Not much changes.

Home At Rest

2011-10-08T09:12:00.004-04:00

For the first time in months, I can sit and think and just be still. Don't ever underestimate the restorative powers of just being still.

I've managed to sneak away from work to home for the weekend. Was originally supposed to only spend two days here, but it's turned into four because my car is getting worked on and therefore I can't make a wedding I had originally intended on going to today.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it back to home again since the theatre season is just about to get underway. Lots of changes happening all over the place so it's nice to be able to come home where things change at a completely different pace and I can always find comfort and a good cup of coffee.

I wanted to post something because NaNoWriMo is coming up soon and I am DETERMINED to blog every day in November. National Novel Writing Month is one of my favorite activities, even though I've never actually managed to complete the challenge. I feel that this year, with all the craziness that's been going on, I need a little stability and the crazed, cracked-out obsession with meeting a number of words challenge, is just the kind of stable I need in my life. If you're interested in checking this out, it's a world wide crazy that takes hold and everyone is together in the trenches. All the crazies in one place. Find your local support group now! www.nanowrimo.org

DC Earthquake Aftermath

2011-08-23T16:59:00.003-04:00

Just a video to show I'm okay! My apartment....not so much....f* you DC Earthquake!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmPEy03YChI

BIRTHDAY!!

2011-07-28T06:59:00.003-04:00

Yes. It is that infamous time of year again. It just keeps coming round and I am grateful for it. It's my BIRTHDAY! July 28th could, quite possibly be, my most favorite day of the year. A day when I only get a slight eyebrow raise over the fact that I make everything about me, instead of the usual scoff and under-breath comments about being an egotistical, self-involved brat. (Actually, no one has actually said that, but I've seen the thought play out on my brothers' face on several occasions.)

I'd like to think that with each year that passes I grow and mature into an intelligent, compassionate, graceful, beautiful, amazing young woman......

But really, the facts are this....I really haven't changed that much over the years. You can clearly see from the following photos that I really haven't changed that much at all.

I still have an affinity for spoons.

I am still aware that if something is really, really, ridiculously delicious and made of chocolate...then playa, shit bout to get REAL...nom nom nom....

I will ALWAYS be a pretty, pretty princess.....uhhhh I mean, a small child who dresses in the colors of the rainbow, possesses magical powers, and has the ability to ride a majestic white horse off into the sunset. So in other words, deep down inside, I am a gay man. Thanks Rainbow Brite for showing me the way....to excellent fashion taste and an attitude that says "YES I am wearing all the colors of the rainbow and I don't match. I have cute hair, damnit, and you will RESPECT me."

And finally....I still make good hair choices that will invite people to come talk to me, therefore creating an opportunity to make new friends.

What? You don't do that with your hair??

Yes. I feel "25 and change" will be a good year for me. Getting older means I can rationalize champagne for breakfast (IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!)...as well as being full aware that I'll need a Prilosec later, after the champagne and the full English breakfast I decided to make myself. I'm an adult. This is how it goes.

Finally...I would like to thank my parents on this momentous occasion....

thanks Mom and Dad for giving the world 27 years of AWESOME. I come from good stock, people.

Having Fun Sans Cheese or Ice Cream

2011-07-05T18:27:00.006-04:00

So I have just come to terms with the fact that I just might be......lactose intolerant. Oh the horror. Apparently, I consume a hell of a lot of dairy. Or dairy is in just about everything I eat. I'm not sure which it is yet. Will let you know once I discover a world free of bloating and swearing. (Side note: Never ask a woman if she's pregnant. She might be lactose intolerant and making bad choices that day. Things may get violent. This has been your Public Service Announcement brought to you by GoFuckYourselfCheeseEaters.)

One thing I do know, the day I thought I came to terms with lactose intolerance is the day God decided to fuck with me. Ben & Jerry's came to my work to give away free ice cream. Sonofabitch. For a second there, I thought they might be stalking me. Like maybe they had some kind of honing system where they pick up the lactose challenged individuals on radar .

No seriously. I didn't get the email about free ice cream till after I saw the truck. Sometimes I get paranoid and, of course, the world revolves around me. And of course Ben & Jerry's would stalk me. Duh.

It's times like these that I'm glad I spent the $12.99 on this beauty:

You'd be surprised at how often I need to look at this at work.......wait.....this is me we're talking about. There should be no surprise there, just look at the damn blog address.

My parents love me and tell me I'm special.

In other somewhat related news....I can still have fun sans cheese. And this fun makes me glad to be an adult. Especially when being an adult means going to adult playgrounds. No, not what you're thinking, get your mind out of the gutter....why do my blog readers have such dirty minds?

Adult playground = table taps! Hallelujah! God does love me!

Say hello to Redline. (Say hello to my non-dairy meal of beer!, beef and grilled veg! on a stick! with potatoes!...which I did not eat...they may have fried it in butter.)

Now, don't let the term "gastrolounge" frighten and/or excite you. It is not a place, as I may have previously thought, where you can eat to your tummy's content then stretch out and take a nap. Lounge = nap to me. But c'est la vie. I can pour my own beer and eat at a slight recline in their booth. ALWAYS CHOOSE A BOOTH. Anywhere. If your belly gets too full, you can lean back and it does not appear that you are carrying a food baby. You're welcome for that Lady-Like Tip Of The Day. Also it means I can sit with my feet crossed under me.

This joint is right next to the Chinatown Metro and has happy hour specials. Which make me happy inside. (Side note: I just thought to myself "I'm so happy I could vomit." If you've ever thought this, you too may have Crohn's Disease or IBS. Welcome to the club, your membership card is in the mail and I can tell you where all the best public bathrooms are in DC --or--- that was just an incredible overshare on my part and in fact you just think crazy thoughts like that...in which case, welcome to my blog. Where crazy thoughts occur at random...or when there's wine involved. Or whiskey.) No Mom....I am not drinking and blogging at the same time. One Corona does not count....okay now it's two, but still.

I do believe that's my cue to exit.

Love!

Mumford Love

2011-06-28T01:48:00.005-04:00

I'd like to think I'm much more emotionally mature now than I was when I was 16, sobbing into a can of diet coke and a bag of peanut butter M&Ms, while a John Mayer CD played.

Turns out I'm not.

Say hello to Mumford & Sons.

Cue "White Blank Page" and you will find me sobbing into a glass of Merlot and a bag of peanut butter M&Ms.

Thank you Mumford & Sons for showing me that I will always be 16 inside.

<3,

P.S. Just googled their bio and found out they're Londoners. See how my life is just full circles leading me back to all things British?! Love.

Shoes

2011-06-11T11:36:00.003-04:00

Dear Shoes:

You know? I like you better than all those other metro hussies. You are pretty and blue and gold AND from London. You are not killing my feet. I don't need to drink my foot pain away, cause I have no foot pain.

Also. With flat shoes, I am always prepared to fight Ninjas. You can't run in heels, yo.

Heart you,

LindsayLou--Faithful Shoe Owner

This is Why They Don't Give Me Days Off..

2011-06-06T19:46:00.006-04:00

What do I get up to when I get a day off? I knew you wanted to know....

...Spring cleaning. Which means re-discovering mini bottles of liquor I had stocked away. Why yes, I would like to sweep and drink a mini bottle of Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka & Bourbon Whiskey. How ever did you know? It's like I'm straight outta Mad Men...where's my pearls?

Also while cleaning was listening to my iTunes on random and had the joy to discover that I have, and still remember all the words, to every Jennifer Love Hewitt song ever made. And booty-popping does work to Love's tunes. Winning. This is why they never let me have a day off.

And just to provide the cherry on top of all dorky/Anglophile-ness....

Oh yes. I did buy the Royal Wedding on DVD and it came today. Cause ya know, I wanted the world to know, I did plan on being single forever if this didn't cement that already.

To all my spinsters out there. Word.

A Topic on Which I Feel Strongly...

2011-06-06T15:25:00.003-04:00

Was recently searching around the blog world looking for supportive and interesting ones on Crohn's Disease since A. I have it, B. I need support but not medical information, and C. I love blogs on specific topics. I did find one I really liked especially when she took a post to rant, not about Crohn's, but about something separately on a topic I feel quite strongly about and she does it with a bit of humor. You can check it out over here.

My favorite part, "If I don't pay a prostitute is it rape or shoplifting? If I hit you in the face with a shovel for telling this 'joke' is it assault or a public service?"

I think I'm going to like reading her stuff.

Ta!

Lindsay

Dr. Who and Proper Fry Up

2011-05-28T11:04:00.003-04:00

Nothing picks a girl up like a proper fry-up and some Saturday morning Dr. Who watching. Hey...everybody needs their version of Saturday morning cartoons and season 4 is one of my favorites, specifically the episode "Partners in Crime". Best introduction episode of a new companion. I love it. Makes me cry at the end, every time, the bit with Donna's granddad. Just. Can't. Stand. It.

This past week I found myself just a tad bit tipsy and at my favorite British goods shop in Clarendon, VA. Woke up the next day with a purse full of McVities Milk Chocolate Digestives, Cadbury Chocolate bars, a can of Heinze beans, a few cigars as well (hey it is a cigar shop as well, called Classic Cigars & British Goodies) and my bank account out $30.00. Worth it. Especially for the chocolate and the beans.

And now for my Saturday morning breakfast before heading off to a full day of work, I get the treat of beans and toast, poached eggs, and a few vegetarian sausages thrown in for good measure. Top it all off with a cup of tea. Just a little bit of heaven.

In other news, I might be going to an audition on Monday, Memorial Day. We'll see how it goes and if I'm able to make it out of the apartment. With all the time that I spend at work these days, it's difficult to pry myself away from the comfort of my bed at home.

I hear I'll have normal hours in the summer....gosh, whatever shall I do with myself? Re-read all the Harry Potter's before the last movie and start in on my massive Jane Austen and Shakespeare book fests I've decided to do? Good plan....

...such a nerd.

Ta!

2011-05-25T08:21:00.003-04:00

I only have a few moments to myself first thing in the morning so I never think I have time to blog, but it's been too long. I haven't given up on you yet, blogworld, and shall return more energized and dedicated after June 12. Till then, scraps for you.

My comfort food for breakfast lately has been a cup of PG Tips, with lactose-free milk (stress leaves me with a sensitivity to dairy, boo), some Weetabix with Earth Balance butter (I eat Weetabix like toast....mmmm crunchy, delicious toast) and fruit. Simple, easy, and comforting. I've needed it as these last few months have been a bit intense and overly stressful. I've practically been living at work and in April I had my best friends wedding (which was amazing and gorgeous and THE BEST TIME EVER and totally worth any stress I had over it).

My last show of the season at work ends on June 12th and after that...who knows where life will take me. I shall have normal work hours over the summer, allowing me a bit more breathing room then I've had and I may decide to fill that extra time with classes. Again...who knows?

This past weekend was spent in NYC and I'll have to blog about that soon. I had a ridiculously good time with my sister, who just moved there, and I'm liking NYC more and more each time I go. Once I find my camera cord to put my pictures on my computer, I will dazzle you with pretty scenes and delicious food shots. I'll leave you with these: Alice's Tea Cup and Harry Potter Exhibition.

Kind regards and missing you,

Pictures Around DC

2011-03-28T21:40:00.003-04:00

Here's just a few shots taken around the National Mall and one from Metro Center area of DC.

I went to the Walk for Epilepsy this past Sunday and it was quite an inspiring experience. My cousin has epilepsy, as does my best friend from college and one of my old high school friends. It's just surprising how, just like my Crohn's, nobody is willing to talk about it so the ones that have it need to fight to be heard. It's hard to find a celebrity willing to step up and say "I have epilepsy" (or, in my case, I can't name a single well known celebrity who has Crohn's or admits to having IBD/IBS), so often times it's just the people suffering that need to stand up and make themselves heard.

It was pretty fantastic seeing all the people out there who were just there to support their loved ones and the cause.

Even the dogs came out for support.

Ummmmm...I'm not sure, let me get back to you on that, but thanks for asking!

Lindsay

More on "The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs"

2011-03-23T15:53:00.004-04:00

Check out this blog post/review of Woolly's show. She says it way better than I did and thanks to work friends who pass stuff to me concerning things that I foam at the mouth about (seriously, I just embarrass myself when I get overly passionate about things...like England. Fo'realz yo', don't get me started on my passion for England, it's worse and more epic than my passion for "Agony & Ecstasy".)

Ta!

A Cop Out Food Post

2011-03-23T09:05:00.004-04:00

Ummm, errrr....ooook so I always feel just a touch awkward after getting too serious about something and end up dealing with a situation that can best be described as an 'emotional hangover' the next day. I'm just not used to displaying strong emotion, or showing just how passionate I can get about something...unless I have a built in excuse like 'blog post fueled by wine'.
Regardless of how I feel right now, still GO see The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Right now. Go.

But in the meantime, as a blog cop out....instead of doing a real post about something big and awesome like my London trip, I'm going to throw a picture of food at you and hope that you're hungry so that you can resent me just a little bit because of the fantastic food stuff I eat. If you're not hungry then this post is really just a waste of time....I'll admit to nothing.BAM! There you go. I've been obsessed with this deliciousness for the past few mornings. Hello, Bagels and Baguettes, my new favorite breakfast place. Quick, cheap, delicious. That's all I need. This is a wheat bagel, toasted with bacon, egg and cheese. I don't question whether or not the eggs are free range, or if that bacon lead a happy life before it ended up on my breakfast sandwich, hell I'm not 100% sure if that's American cheese or not, I can only assume. It is how a breakfast sandwich of cheap, hot, deliciousness should be. Only $4.39. Mmmmm.....

You're welcome. xo.

Theatre As Theatre Should Be

2011-03-22T22:59:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately I am completely lacking in the vocabulary necessary to fully describe the theatre experience I just had, and for that I am sorry. (Not that that is going to stop me from trying, of course.)

All I know is that I've just had one of the best theatre experiences yet so far in my life and I want more. It was as theatre should be. It was devastating in the way that it made me laugh, made me think, took my breathe away, brought tears to my eyes and gave me hope.

Before I continue, go right now and see if you can buy tickets to see The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in DC. Your very vision of the world will change after you see it. You know that little closet in your heart and in your head where you tuck the unpleasant things away, shut the door, lock it and get on with your life without too much thought to those things again? Yeah, I have that too...and I just burned that door. It's not possible to put this away when all I want to do is go over and over it again in my mind.

The beauty of theatre was exemplified in a preview night performance. A Pay-What-You-Can performance, in which I stood in line for 15 minutes and paid only, I'm ashamed now to admit, $4 to go see. Slip ups happened in the show and it just made me love it all the more. Mike Daisey was amazing in the way that he could seamlessly slip from the performance to just being Mike talking about how the lights were messed up and all you could do was fall in love and thing "I will never see this performance again, because it is only happening right now. It will be different for every single audience and I get the chance to see this very performance, this beautiful display of art." It was truly amazing.

See? No vocabulary. "Amazing" does not do it justice. Mike Daisey, you have blown me away. All I can think is "everything is hand made" and all I can do is feel my fingertips burning as I type on this very computer with my hands dancing on places that have been touched before...by foreign hands in far off China. Dear reader, this won't have much sense for you to find unless you go and watch this show. Go. Right now. Seriously. I don't often...or ever really encourage in this way, so trust me on this one.

I just keep thinking that this is what theatre should be doing. I've been to plenty of shows before that want to expose some injustice, or I've watched loads of Today Show clips about the inhumanities of the world, and I cry and hang my head and think "dear God there's so many horrible things, I feel terrible, there's nothing I can do that can make it all better"...and then I take that and put it in the closet I have on the inside. I lock the door, wipe my hands clean and forget about it. Sure, I may think on it occasionally and my mind flits over the atrocities that fill up the dark corners of the world. But then it flits away like a butterfly and gently veers away from touching on it again.

Not this show. Mike Daisey pulled me in, made me comfortable even with all his words about computers, because he's a nerd too and aren't we all nerds? Wow he's so funny, I should totally bring my Dad and my brothers to this, they would totally get all the computer talk...wait, I may not understand the terminology but I get what he's saying. This is what I'm thinking during the first half. Then he turns the pages of his notes before him (it's a one man show, this is a preview night, the man needs some notes) and all I can do is remind myself not to sit on the edge of my seat and I breathe a sigh of relief that it's not over yet, there are still more pages thank God. I refused to look at my watch, as I usually do at a lot of theatre performances, because I did not want it to end.

When it did end, he did an beautiful thing. He exposed some horrible things and then he went and left me with hope. The hope that comes with believing in change. And now I can't forget, and I don't want to forget. Because I'm hopeful. And this was the best fucking performance yet so far and I want more.

That is how theatre should be.

Hours from London

2011-02-18T06:40:00.003-05:00

Normally, being only hours from London (I depart DC Sunday night and arrive in London on Monday morning), I would be in a state of over excitement that would require me to be on no drugs. It would normally appear that I was cracked out on caffeine without actually consuming any caffeinated beverages. Unfortunately, I haven't actually gotten a full nights rest in the past week and have been working like a mad woman because I'm suddenly afraid that everything at work will FALL APART in my absence.

Now, clarification. I work in the front-of-house of a prominent DC theatre. If you know theatre hierarchy you will know that I am a low rung on the ladder of the company. However, if something goes wrong, even if it's a super tiny problem, in the front-of-house at the theatre...EVERYONE will comment on it. It's made me extremely anal about things like toilet paper (pun intended) and whether or not we're providing liquid creamer as opposed to powdered creamer at the coffee bar. So the fact that I will be absent and hard to reach for 10 whole days away from my beloved theatre has me in a panic.

I'm trying to mentally prepare myself to not think about work while I'm in London. Of course, my uber awesome and amazing father has provided me with his international blackberry so I can still be connected through email. I've made sure to tell a very small amount of people this information so I'm not constantly working while in London.

Oh God...I'm going to London.

In other news (revolving around London, of course...it's the only reason for this blog people), I am going to be pretty poor while there and I'm excited about it. Saturday I'm going to research cheap eats and things to do around the city. I'm already familiar enough with London to have a partial list in my head of places to re-visit and my fav cheap eats. But I can't wait to blog about it later for your benefit (don't roll your eyes, you. will. love. it. If you don't....dude...go away). I will also be bringing along my Flip camera and will hopefully record some good stuff to re-post later.

SOEXCITED.

That is all.

Is there Life After London?

2011-02-06T08:51:00.003-05:00

The answer is no. Absolutely not. I have big plans for my post-London trip and they mainly center around Dr. Who marathon's in my jammies, gorging on all the Cadbury chocolate I'm bringing back with me, and warding off the crying jag's with red wine. Ya know...per usual for my post-London trips.

Also, my roommate and I are getting rid of our cable. I still have my internet/netflix so after I'm back and done obsessing over monologues and grad applications, I have a long list of movies and miniseries to retreat into including: Battlestar Galactica, Downton Abbey, Little Dorrit, Bleak House, Wives & Daughters and the new Sherlock Holmes show.

Isn't life just grand when you're not really living it?

After I come out of my post-London coma...I'll slowly ease back into polite society, hopefully not in my jammies, and start looking for some theatre classes to take and some community theatre auditions to go on to keep myself sane.

Bit sad that I'm still two weeks away from actually going to London and I'm already dealing with the emotional trauma of coming back to the states after the trip.....yes. I should get professional help. But it's okay Dr. Konstantin Frank makes an excellent red that will do just nicely.

Happy Moments

2011-02-05T23:26:00.005-05:00

Hey. Hey. Hey. Guess what?

TWO WEEKS till I'm off to London. Iamsoexcitedyouhavenoidea!

I'll have little-to-no money while there, but begging on London street corners just has a classy, 'woman of the world' feel to it, don't ya think? So much nicer than begging in DC. Which usually will result in getting yourself mixed up in a debate where neither party can fully back up what they're saying but both are holding on to the conversation like two starving dogs fighting for scrap meat.

I really have no idea where that just came from.

I'm in a ridiculously good mood tonight. Thursday night I got to see a play. It was Pay-What-You-Can-Preview night over at The Source Theater on 14th Street NW, where Constellation theatre was putting on On the Razzle. It was a great show that made me laugh and boy is that something I need in this economy. And I am so grateful for PWYC preview nights. It's really the only way I'll be able to see shows in the next few months, unless they're free or I'm working for them.

This upcoming Tuesday I might be seeing another PWYC preview for another show. Yeah!

I'm also in a good mood cause I've spent the night in with a glass of red wine (hi there Lindemans Pinot Noir....delish and cheap! I love the friend that suggested this too me...she knows me well) and I've been working on two monologue pieces that I would love to do for some grad school auditions...if I can can wrangle some up while I'm in London. (Tomorrow morning I'll be up early to crack away at the applications...oh joy.)

I have such a weird love of monologue work. Actually just working on a script when you're first introduced to it and trying to make it's acquaintance, is really quite a delight. You play parts over in your head getting a feel for it. It tumbles out your mouth, awkward at first as you learn it's taste and try out it's sound. Over and over. Words start making meaning upon meaning pile up. Pictures play behind your eyes, an achy need to move starts to bubble up, the lips are having all the fun and the body wants to follow through. You move it, shift it, try it one way, add some energy here, here and here. What do I want you to see? What do I understand about this part? Do you see what I'm saying? I'm not me, I'm me. Hello, welcome.

Aaaaaand theatre geek moment done. I'm starving. I think it's Cheerios time. Mmmm, cheerios. A cereal that goes with any wine really. Trust me on this, I'm an expert on wine/cereal pairings.

Hugs and Kisses.

Grad School

2011-01-30T10:30:00.004-05:00

Someday, someday, someday....it's the song I sing myself to sleep with when I go to bed thinking on Grad school. Someday I shall get there. Who knows when?

Until I do get there, I really need help figuring out where "there" is. I need some guidance and there doesn't seem to be any Americans that can help me. I need a UK drama school pro...maybe somebody who knows specific things like how drama school and getting a visa afterwards for an American can go hand-in-hand.

I've found some great programs that I'm really interested in. Some that are on the CDS and NCDT lists and some that aren't. What I'm concerned with is will I be able to get funding for a program that is not certified? Or will it prove to be more difficult? Also, if I get accepted to a non-certified program does that make it doubly hard to get a work visa after graduation? It's already hard enough to do that, I'm not sure I want to make it even harder on myself.

I really like this one program that is specially geared towards international students and even helps Americans/Canadians/Australians improve their accent/dialect and RP. I want to work in the UK and want to get hired despite having an American accent, so I want to be able to work in other accents/dialects. But this program is not certified. So am I just wasting my time?

Questions abound....

PMS looks good on me...

2011-01-29T23:09:00.004-05:00

Ahhhh PMS, isn't it just lovely? I used to hate PMS but now I have fully come to appreciate it's benefits.

For example. I'm not sure if you knew, but my apartment is nicknamed "The Igloo" for a reason. It's a basement apartment and stays chill like an icebox year round. Good for summer, real bad for winter. It costs a fortune to heat ($200 last month cause I thought maybe I'd try...boy did The Igloo sure teach me...), so we just don't bother. I'm currently wearing a delightfully, sexy ensemble that consists of sweat pants, LL Bean knit socks with kickass leather bottoms, long sleeve tee with a sweatshirt and a nice fluffy scarf that I have wrapped around my head. Which of course I can't wear to bed, cause that'd just look silly, so I shall replace it with a ski cap before I go to sleep. Elegant and refined, I know.

Exhibit A: Too Hot to Handle Right Now, or Screw You Pepco, I Can Generate My Own Heat

But this is where the benefits of PMS come in handy.

I eat like food is going out of style when PMS hits and at the rate I'm going this week, I will have amassed enough body fat to help me survive a winter, naked, in Russia. Currently, I think my food consumption today alone could feed a third world country....wait, that is not where I wanted to veer this thought process....happythoughts, happythoughts, cute puppies and babies.....mmm, beer.

So yes, today...I won't list my entire food diary here, cause who cares, but my dinner should impress--Coke, double patty burger from 5ive Guys (ketchup only of course, I try to watch my figure...expand....), easy mac on the side, and 2 peanut butter rice krispie bars for dessert(I made a batch yesterday and ate half of it in one sitting, proving.....I AM THE VICTOR). I was slightly satisfied. Then I worked for about 3 hours at the Theatre and was raging hungry afterwards. Late seating the jerks who show up to a play late always works up an appetite, don'tcha know. My hunger was to the point that I had thoughts of robbing a Domino's or begging on the corner for some Chinese food and a bottle of red wine. Although, I'm not really supposed to be eating out at all in order to save money...but the 5ive Guys burger does not count cause I needed meat and that's just not something that is safe for me to cook without adult supervision.

Now that I'm home, I've given myself full approval to chow down, bulk up, go for the gold. Bikini season is way off...and I never liked those anyways, so who cares? Eat! Eat your heart out and love it!

Except I got nothing here. Haven't gone shopping. Can't until I can hopefully beg $30 from the gentle souls who bore me and call me their own. So instead of consuming wholesome, delicious food, like Ben & Jerry's or roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, like I wanted, I had instead 2 bowls of Rice Krispies with vanilla almond milk (no need to add sugar, yum!), and have now moved on to popcorn, my brother's homemade beer and, apparently, run-on sentences. (Glad to see my English degree is being put to good use. Use me as a model kids, plagiarize away, I dare ya.)

And guess who's going to England during the next PMS storm front? Oh that'd be me. Hello fish 'n chips, Yorkshire puddings, Strongbows by the multiple pint, Cadbury chocolate made in the mother land, bangers 'n mash, blood pudding, Chicken Kiev's made at Sainsbury's (don't ask, I just loooooove them), cream custard, high tea, PG tips with...wait for it....WHOLE MILK. Heaven save me. Please allow Virgin Atlantic to board me home again once I've gained 500lbs.

The end.

Now I must go and see how strawberry Popsicles taste dipped in peanut butter and rolled in oats......

....kidding......

kinda. Can't say the thought didn't cross my mind to actually try it.

xx.

Poor Me...Fun Me

2011-01-23T14:31:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends in the DC/VA/MD area:

Hi. I like you. I think you're cool and fun and really enjoy hanging out with you on multiple occasions. I would like to continue to hang out with you on multiple occasions. Here's the sitch however....I am poor. I mean like super poor. I haven't blogged about it yet, but if you're friends with me on Facebook you already know, at the end of February I'm going to London for 9 days (I'MSOEXCITEDYOUHAVENOIDEA). I don't know if this will come as a surprise to those who know me but....I can't actually afford to go to London. But per usual, I toss all thoughts of what I can and can't do when poor out the window. I'm already in debt, but damnit, my soul needs some England, so c'est la vie.

What does this mean for you dear friends? Other than you having to put up with me gushing constantly about my trip, that is. Well, I can afford to do absolutely nothing with you. This is unacceptable in my book. So I propose a Poor Me plan. Starting Tuesday (after one of my good friends birthday dinner at Circa in Dupont on Monday night) I will not be spending any money on eating out. I will not even spend a dime on coffee at my favorite coffee shop or purchase a small, cheap snack at my favorite little French cafe on the Hill. My money will be saved for the immense amount of delicious, amazing, calorie saturated, British food I'll be consuming every hour I'm in London (definitely not joking here my friends).

So in order to not slip into my unavoidable destiny of spinsterhood before it's time, I propose dinner parties. On the nights when I'm not working a show...which starts this Tuesday night. I fully expect several of you to accept my dinner invites for the cheap, but I'm sure delicious, concoctions I shall cook up in my kitchen. Come, join me for a meal. And if you care to reciprocate, I make an excellent dinner guest.

For nights that I just can't avoid going to the bar man-hunting with my favorite dynamic duo, Callie & Mills (and why on earth would I want to avoid that? Not because I'm tired and want to go to bed early....oh no...never again, I swear ladies. Girl Scouts honor), I shall be purchasing only one of the poor man's favorite brew, PBR. Mmmm, delicious. I hear if you add a lime, it tastes just like Corona.

Other Poor Me ideas for frivolity and fun, long walks with one of my favorite bloggers and her pup, beer pong tournaments at my house (you provide the beer, I've got the table and a winning attitude), movie nights (10th Kingdom anyone? It'd be an adventure that spans over several nights!), tourist walks around DC, visits to many of our free museums, and I have half a bottle of Tequila sitting in front of me...so let's plan something around that shall we? ;) (Mom, I'm kidding....kind of...)

Any other free ideas you want to throw at, feel free. I'm good, cheap fun....errr....I mean I'm up for good, cheap fun.

Best regards,

Lindsay

I Take Pictures of Food

2011-01-19T07:50:00.003-05:00

I was super excited about my breakfast this morning. I just had to take a picture and share. Then my roommate asked me if I knew what a "spinster" is...and that word is not in my vocabulary. The only thing I can relate is "fabulously single blogger who occasionally takes pictures of her food"...and in the blog world it's totally normal.

Breakfast: Steal cut oats cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, with Pumpkin Pie and Cardammon spice. Raspberries and agave nectar on top. Healthy, delicious and with enough sugar to make me happy it's morning. I kind of rock...did you know?

Somebody's Gotta Do It

2011-01-12T20:53:00.005-05:00

Just wanted to give you a little looky-loo into what I do for my day job:

Yup, this is official type business, people. And it wasn't even suggested by me, the Anglophile of the company. I had a higher-up suggest maybe we should be selling some fun British stuff, like a Shandy, ......and then the prawn cocktail flavored crisps were all my idea.

A shandy, for you none-Brit-obsessed Americans, is a drink that mixes beer with lemonade (or sprite/7up). I didn't actually know they sold it as a pre-made canned beverage, so it was quite a delight to find it at my British goods store in Arlington called Classic Cigars & British Goodies. Then, per usual for me, while there I got carried away with excitement over the chocolate products. I can't leave a shop like that without getting imported McVitie's Chocolate Digestives, Cadbury's Dairy Milk, Cadbury's Dairy Milk Caramel, Cadbury's Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut, and of course, Cadbury's Dairy Milk Whole Nut. DON'T get between me and my British chocolate.

Yes, when I lived in London I did indeed gain forty pounds and went up TWO cup sizes....I guarantee that my boobs were most likely made up of entirely Cadbury's Chocolate.

Overshare? I think not. Knowledge can only bring us closer.

Hugs 'n Kisses.

Books to Keep the Blues Away

2011-01-10T20:52:00.003-05:00

I haven't been feeling the greatest lately. Lots of internal, self-inflicted stress that I can't seem to shake. And let me tell you, my body will always physically react to any amount of stress, whether I'm aware I have any or not. Welcome to life with Crohn's.

I've been struggling a bit with the fact that I am a 'people-pleaser'. Yup, this is a bad thing. I've been told that word for word. "Lindsay you are a people-pleaser and that is a bad thing." See? Word for word. And as soon as that was spoken out loud I realized that's exactly what gives me a vast majority of my stress on a daily basis. I make a lot of decisions, even very important, life-changing decisions, based on the fact that it will make a lot of other people happy...totally disregarding my happiness. I get very upset when I think a decision I'm making will make someone unhappy.

I can't fully point the finger at others because this is something I created in myself and I'm not quite sure how I got here. But how I got here is really not what I need to focus on. I'm working towards being more positive and retraining myself to see whats best for me and how to get it with clear visualization.....

....and don't I just sound like a self-help book. Ummm, that's because I am totally reading a self-help book and it's AWESOME. Don't be a hater. Leave me to my happy place. I am a total closet-self-help junky. LOVE. Maybe it's because I'm very pessimistic a lot of the time, but it does go against my innate nature. I'm drawn to books with positive words that tell tales of having control over your own life and doing great things...this book has all that and it doesn't sound like a whole lot of crap you want to roll your eyes at. It's called The New Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. I've been getting up early and reading bits of it before I start my day, finding that it helps put a spring in my step and makes me feel like I can handle just about anything. Of course, usually by the end of the day I curl up in a ball and cry "uncle" to the headlock Life has me in...but baby steps...

Other books that I currently have at my bedside that I'm working my way through in the odd hour.... Respect For Acting by Uta Hagen. This practically reads like a self-help book, but it's one for actors. I've underlined a lot of fantastic stuff and I just go straight to my happy place when I read about technique and finding better ways to convey a message through acting. No matter what my day job is, I'll always be an acting nerd.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanne Clarke is one I've owned since it first appeared over here in the US. Having seen it over the pond in England, I bought it and then just never got around to reading it...the very same thing that happened with almost all 250 books I currently own and have not read...oops...Book Buyers Anonymous anyone?

I've picked it up this second time around because a friend of mine is reading it...she happens to have a blog over here. (She's really kind of awesome, so get on that) I was jealous she was reading it, what with me owning it and all and having never read it, so I decided it was time. So far it's pretty decent. It's very, very thick with very, very small type and extremely detailed with a whole history created for it. An impressive piece of work to be sure. I'll let you know how it goes.

But moral of the story, and there sooooo is one....cause I'm all about the educatin' the masses....books make me happy. These ones are keeping the blues away. They provide that little period of calmness, where I enter through a door and have to leave my shit behind because it just can't carry into the story. A nice little respite from life. You should try it.

And if you have books that keep your blues away...well holla at yo' girl.

Open Call

2011-01-03T19:44:00.006-05:00

Dear Men:

HI! My name is Lindsay and I. AM. SINGLE. It's official. I am open to dating, so let's get it on. Okay, GO! I am ready for the flirting to commence. I have my stick ready to beat off the masses swarming around me for attention--I promise to be gentle.....

....okay....any time now.....feel free to ask me out....

...ummm, I'm waiting, did I not say GO?!

Seriously now. Do I honestly need to give you an incentive for this already hot package?

.........................................................

Damn. Okay....here ya go.

I am available-Single & ready to mingle.

How can you say no to footie pajamas?

Wait.....don't let this awkward silence come between us.

Ah well, at least my feet are warm and I am beyond awesome.

Nuf' said.

Love, Future Nun Candidate.

Big Girl Pants

2010-12-28T21:18:00.002-05:00

Well, it's official...I'm putting on some big girl pants cause I went got me a big girl job. Yes that's right...a real, adult job with Responsibilities and People Depending On Me. It's CRAZY.

I'm officially the head of my department at the theatre where I've been a part-time house manager. Now I've been promoted and am the Head of All the House Managers and A Whole Lotta Volunteers (500+...holy crap...) I have a fancy title and, as opposed to all my stupid/horrible/demeaning part-time gigs I used to have (like waitressing), they expect me to just hit the ground running and aren't really supervising me. Well...they are, but I kind of make up my own to-do lists and just make sure shit gets done, all on my own and then check in with my boss once a week to go over it all. So all-in-all...a pretty freakin' awesome set up.

Majority of my higher-ups are women...which is crazy cause all my former jobs I've worked for men...and I think I was a whole lot smarter than a good percentage of them (which is not good, especially when I am a Grade A, certified ditz). At this job, I have a lot of respect for the higher-ups...they know their shit and they are good at it. My former boss, who's job I've been promoted to, was also the best boss I've ever had, hands down. She knew her shit and everyone else's too. I have very big shoes to fill.

Due to my new full time status, I get to quit my waitressing job, I get awesome pay and some thing called Benefits...which is a new world to me ("wait, wait, waaaait a minute....so you're telling me...I can go see a doctor/dentist/eye doctor and you're going to cover it under this thing called 'Benefits'?!? Fan-freaking-tastic." This also means a new dedication to blogging. I haven't really had much time to commit to writing or reading blogs since I've moved to DC. Mainly due to the fact that I used to work 60-80 hour work weeks with little to no sleep....all for the sake of having a flexible schedule so I could do all the acting that I wasn't actually doing....

Well now I will have a little bit of extra time. I plan on blogging more, reading more, and hello community theatre! You will be my new best friend. I think I will go for shows in the summer, when my theatre is on its break, and while we're in season, I'll be able to afford acting classes. I'm excited. I've got big plans.

Fingers crossed this positivity holds.

(I am super-duper excited about the new job though, even though it restricts any acting I want to do a bit. I get peace of mind with this job...bills will get paid (and my parents are SUPER psyched I have a real job)...and since it's just a promotion, really, I know everyone I work with/for and already have a love for the company in place. I'm not going to blog much about the actual company...or list it's name...though I'm sure you could find it easily with a google search or a look through my past posts. But I'm feeling all protective of my theatre and want to keep my work separate from my fun---which is what this blog is, fun.)

Okay...that is all. Expect more from me soon, dear reader (hi Mom!).

Fondly,

P.S. I got a Flip camera for Christmas! GET EXCITED for vlogs....coming soon ;) And let amateur hour begin....heeheehee

What I do on a day off.

2010-11-09T22:52:00.008-05:00

I'm starting to see a trend in my life, with all of it's busyness and stress, I've started in on some habits of leisure during my brief moments of respite:

Last Tuesday night, off from work...

(Ladies Cigar night, what what. We rock...and so does Romeo y Julieta)

Tonight, off from work.....

Though, let it be seen....I was attempting to do a budget tonight and that, of course, requires red wine to fend off the sobbing jags and depressing thoughts (cause seriously, yo? who can be depressed with red wine?). The 'Playing Shakespeare' DVD's were just my reward. Granted, they were rewarded a bit early because I never really finished that stupid budget. I spilled red wine and then needed to drink more red wine to make myself feel better....VICIOUS CYCLE.

Mmmmkay....now it's back to 'Playing Shakespeare'. These DVDs were lent to me from an actress friend, currently in the play I am House Managing for, and I'm in love with them already. The amazingness of them has caused me to burst into my Shakespeare monologues at random times....wait....that may just be due to red wine consumption.

Okay. That is all.

The end.

Apron Strings

2010-11-07T00:16:00.004-04:00

I love my Mom. I got a package of this delightfulness the day before Halloween. Even though I'm not living at home, I'm not in college or abroad at the moment, she still sends me holiday candy packages. Which is awesome for other reasons besides the sugar rush and Mom-attention...it's useful cause I eat my emotions like the drama queen I am and having candy on hand at all times only aides that poor decision.

I'm like a crack addict when it comes to sugar.

I'm glad my family can support that...at least they don't send me bottles of wine..............

................although, every time I come home my Dad does buy a case of wine in preparation.

My family is cooler than yours.

I'm just saying...

Dirty

2010-10-25T15:08:00.004-04:00

Things I have said, or things that I have overheard, as a house manager at a theatre(I may have to re-do this post several times, just to add new things to it..us FOH peeps need to keep ourselves entertained with the inappropriate):

Co-Worker: Why do you put the cards in the seats that way?

Me: Because it's thicker that way, it's harder to pull out and stays in longer.

Box office to me: The best things come out of your cleavage.

Actor: He was letting everyone know he only wears underwear as a courtesy for the costume...normally it's commando all the time.

Another HM: "You need to bring the conversation down to zero." (This was just funny because it was said to a patron...hours after the house managers and the box office was having a conversation about Captain Planet and the phrase "bringing pollution down to zero".)

Another HM: In reference to picking which duties we would take care of that night--"Lindsay, do you need to pee tonight?"

Box office: "I prefer not to speak to people I don't know sober."

"I Want To Be On You"

2010-10-19T15:26:00.004-04:00

Well I have found a little slice of British heaven in my corner of the world. If you haven’t already experienced Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper, then you need to go now. Right now. Do you like life? Well go make it better with freaking, fantastic fish and chips. The first time I tried it, only a week and a half ago, I almost cried right there in the shop onto the incredibly tender cod fish and side of fries coated in a generous amount of malt vinegar, which they keep right there on the table! Like a proper chip shop! And I don’t have to ask for it!! Oh happyhappyjoyjoy!! They also carry British beers, Strongbow and IMPORTED CADBURY. Hi, Eamonn’s, so you will be my reason for excessive weight gain this winter, eh?

I needed to have it again today and have officially decided that I need to dedicate at least 2-3 meals a week to British/Irish food. Whether I be cooking it myself or I be off on a food quest around the city for the perfect Sunday roast and Yorkshire pudding. I will report back here with my findings and hopefully jump back on the blogging bandwagon.

I did have a whole blog saved and ready for posting about why I haven’t been blogging but have decided that it would only bore you to death or make you cry with the over dramatic, teenage angsty-ness that wafts from it, like week old fish left in the fridge too long.

Let me sum it up for you: apologizes, apologizes, nobody reads this anyways, boy, boy, boy, boy like me, boy no like me?, smoke/drink, no more smoke, no exercise, wah-wah-wah, boy, boy, boy, stupid boy, another boy, being single sucks, DC feels like home (!!!Arghhhh, so weird, don’t want to talk about it!!!), no acting=i make my life too melodramatic for me to handle, and this is the point were you stop reading that post in order to pick up an excessive drinking habit that I’ve driven you to, all because my post was too over dramatic to handle and only drinking can make it better.

Now aren’t you thankful we avoided all that and instead you can walk away from this craving greasy, fried, heavenly deliciousness that is fish ‘n chips? You are welcome sir/madame. Now go forth, get fat, try not to be as over dramatic as I am, and occasionally check back here to read the comments section and be amused with what my parents have to say in regards to my posts. I know I will.

Fondly and with best wishes,

Lindsay

Stalk Me...I Like The Attention

2010-07-07T18:28:00.001-04:00

I just want to point out that I tweet my exact location and the time I will be there on my twitter account to the right.

So...ya know...if you're a stalker looking for a willing victim, I am SO your girl. It's okay....I like the attention. I am an actress at heart after all.....

Same Old, Same Old...Time's A-Changing

2010-07-07T17:50:00.004-04:00

So I find myself in the same ol', same ol' predicament that I'm always in every four months or so. I think the last time I was in this place was around New Year, however, so it's been a bit of stretch for me.

I am dead broke. I've had to borrow money from my SAINT of a father and SAINT of a mother. And being the good Catholic girl that I am (HA!)....I am racked with guilt.

So off I go to find more employment. See, I usually support myself with the randomness that is dog walking during the day and working as a house manager at a theatre at night. But during the summer it's kind of a break for the theatre...so my money tree has all but shriveled up and died. It's gasping it's last breathe right now and, quite frankly, keeping me up at night with all that noise.

LUCKILY, the times be a'changing and I just may have found some employment. I'll be finding out officially tomorrow...fingers crossed...but I just might end up a bona fide waitress at this fancy little diner over on Capitol Hill. Can you say "living the dream?" (ahem, I mean stereotype--wannabe actress/bona fide waitress) Gosh, I am so proud to be following in the footsteps of sooooo many other down-and-out actors that have tread this here path. Sadly, I am quite excited about it. Someday I hope to be living in good ol' NYC, slinging plates of fried eggs and toast at some shit-hole diner and getting turned down at auditions left and right....like a REAL actress.

A girl can dream right......?

Griffin Market-Georgetown

2010-06-16T10:35:00.004-04:00

I just realized I never posted anything about my new favorite sandwich shop/Italian market. And that is just vital information you need to know.

Blog world, I'd like to introduce you to the best sandwich ever. The Napoli, made lovingly by the sandwich makers at The Griffin Market. It's located in Georgetown on the corner of 28th & P St NW. It's this fantastic little Italian market, run by a real Italian and his wife, that sells all this great imported stuff that would make foodies the world over excited. The sandwich is a bit pricey for a dog walker such as myself, about $9...I always get it with a cup of coffee (which is pretty decent, loads better than coffee from 7eleven down the street) which rounds it up to about a $10 lunch. But the sandwich is worth it! A crusty, delicious baguette with fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, lettuce and a little bit of olive oil based dressing. Drool.

You're welcome D.C. residents. You're life has just been improved with this introduction.

World Cup And Life Just Stops

2010-06-16T09:28:00.006-04:00

So summer has finally arrived, my theatre work has just finished up leaving me with just ONE job...a little different for me, and I've got all this beautiful time on my hands to get around to doing the important stuff.

Aaaand here's how my summer has been playing out so far:

To Do-

-Find a summer job to add to income so I can eat more than beans and rice and occasionally be able to have a beer with friends (instead: watching World Cup)

-Lose weight by drinking less, eating healthier and exercising (instead: watching World Cup, while drinking, eating crap and only leaving the couch to cheer or get more things to add to my caloric intake)

-Work on monologues, plan out headshots, and just in general getting my acting muscle stretched and ready for action in the fall (instead: watching World Cup, using acting training to pretend to be interested in life.)

-Plan out my summer trips to Charleston for Maid of Honor duties, New York City to visit theatre peeps and check out theatre scene there, and Ohio to visit college friends, one of whom will be coming back from Japan after 3 years...(instead: watching World Cup, which is free and as I haven't found another job...well, there's no planning on spending money just yet)

-Read more (instead: watching World Cup)

-Clean (instead: watching World Cup)

-Call old friends (instead: watching World Cup)

-Occasionally write something on this here blog (instead: watching World Cup WHILE blogging about World Cup--so, semi-fail?)

-Participating in life....nope, just checking the World Cup scores on my fancy new phone.

I think you get the idea.

I've never really been much of a sports person because I suck at playing them and because I can get ridiculously competitive (hey, I am a Leo). But soccer is just so much fun to watch.

As for who I'm rooting for, because I know you care: 1. England (have you seen the purpose statement behind this blog? England is where my heart lives.) 2. Brasil (spelled correctly in honor of one of my bestest friends, who is Brazilian and who I will be performing Maid of Honor duties for. Also, Brasil has mad skills, you can't watch them and NOT see the intensity and creativity that goes into their games...though that first game against Korea was sooooooo entertaining. Korea needed like half the team just to defend their goal against one guy. Awesome.) 3. USA....I guess I should root for the motherland. But only cause I like Donovan and half the players on the team play for English teams normally. But dude, they need to step up their game. I don't want to get into it and continue to bore you to death.

Instead...some pictures from when I watched the England vs. USA game at home in Rochester with the family this past weekend:

Me, pre-match, excited about life, English soccer, Strongbow, and the fact that my Dad does not watch soccer and instead prefers to work on my computer problems (Thanks Dad!)

In honor of supporting England, I'm eating their favorite food...Chicken Tikka Masala, Naan bread...and topping it off with Strongbow.

Post-game. A TIE?? Are you F-ING KIDDING ME?

At this point, I just lay there mumbling into the ground about sending a hit man out for Green and how that shot was a shit shot and I could have blocked it better. But I guess Howard was pretty decent. I'll give my mother that (she was rooting for "the underdog"--her words, not mine, America.)

So to end this post...I'm sorry blog world. I'm currently sucking at life and as this blog is about life...or my life really...it's kinda sucking. I would promise to get better...but I can't do that till July 11. I'm sure I'll blog more before than, but no guarantee it'll be about anything other than footy.

Best,

Lindsay

Dear Friend,

2010-06-04T01:15:00.002-04:00

Dear Jomi,

Since you asked what was going on in my life, I decided to make it a blog post of epic randomness.

My life at current:

I'm super busy right now, and I like it. I'll be sad when I'm not. Recently, I've done something I really liked, but didn't have the opportunity to do tonight. Which brings down my night. But it's okay, because more good opportunities will arise, I think. If not, it's okay because once a certain day comes along and there are no opportunities that come along, it'll be fine. I'm sure I'll be okay with the lack of interesting opportunities from that sector of my life. (Did you know fine stands for Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Exhausted?)

I got a package today from a particular someone, that is you, that included a few inappropriate gifts, of which I loved. Because you know what? You get me. And I laughed the whole way through. I hope you laughed the whole way through that card I sent you...about the postman wanting to have sex with you. I read that card and automatically knew that you would be the only one who would find that as funny as I did. This is why you're awesome.

This summer shall be interesting. But I won't panic about it till next week when I have less employment then I do now. Something will pop up, it always does. I can always get a rise out of things when that's what I want. And boy, oh boy, that's what I want.

So far that's what I got. Make sense? Do I ever?

Love you!

Love, me.

Culinary Genius

2010-05-25T22:50:00.006-04:00

I just want to take a moment and brag about my impressive culinary skills.

I was able to recreate a recipe that a fellow theatre friend gave me (thanks Raven!) without using a written recipe. Be prepared to be impressed. Recipe is as follows: Buy Pillsbury Crescent Rolls in tube (I bought the one that makes only four...thank God.), make Pillsbury Crescent Rolls according to instructions (so what if it took me ten minutes to figure out how to get the damn things out, despite having a pull tab...then taking another ten minutes to figure out to unroll them. Baby steps people, baby steps...I never said I was a culinary genius...or did I?), before rolling rolls add chocolate chips to center, then roll around chocolate chips. Cook and voila! You have delicious, amazing, fattening, but super cheap chocolate croissants. It's practically ghetto fabulous and when you're a poor actor...then you be all about the cheapness. Pair with coffee. Equals a fabulous (if slightly unhealthy) start to your morning.

I only bought the four pack...then ate all four. Could have powered through a few more. Definitely won't be buying anything bigger than four....unless I have guests that need to be impressed with my culinary genius (well, Raven's culinary genius) ;)

Late Bloomer

2010-05-11T07:35:00.005-04:00

I've always been a bit of a late bloomer. Mainly when it concerns coming into decisions that others had made for themselves ages ago.

I didn't fully get behind the decision to make acting my life's work until about a year or two ago. Which, for actors that I've come across, is quite late in life as most of them have been pursuing proper theatre education since before they went to college.

Since I graduated undergrad, however, I've known that for whatever I decided to do, I want to go to grad school and I want to go to grad school in England. I feel an attachment for England that I haven't felt for any other place. I'm not sure why, but I know I want to make my career over there if I can.

In the course of an evening I've been thinking over some big things that concern my going to grad school over in the U.K. Big things like...I think I may put it off for another year.

This thought terrifies me because I always have this burning desire in me to be over on British soil as soon as possible. Even when I've gone over to visit, right before I'm about to leave and head back to the U.S., I start to get depressed and angst-y about leaving.

But this might be for the best. One of my best friends is getting married in April and I want to be as involved in the wedding as possible. Also, if I put it off for another year, but can still stay motivated and productive, then I want to be more active here in the D.C. theatre scene. I was thinking I could take an acting class with one of the theatre company's here in D.C. in the fall. I would be able to spend more time auditioning and possibly get work for the fall season. Then, due to that whole burning thing going on inside me, maybe I could save up to take an acting course over in London at one of the big schools. It'd look good on my resume, I'd be able to spend some time in England before coming for grad school, and I'd be more prepared for what grad school would throw at me.

Of course, this line of thinking is quite positive and happy until I start thinking about what age I'll be when I finally get my Master's degree. I hate to be one of those people, but it does make me nervous. It shouldn't matter to me, as this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, but having always been the late bloomer, it just makes me antsy. It's hard to describe. Though on that note, I can always look to my Mom for inspiration. She's in her 50's and she's currently on the path to completing her undergrad degree in computer science in order to go on and get her master's in library science so she can be a librarian. All this while she's working full time.

I'm so proud I could burst.

So if I could just be a bit more like my Mom, then being a late bloomer wouldn't matter. What matters is pursing what I love, regardless of what age I am or how much money I have (or will make).

Cue sappy music and me hugging someone in the background, probably sobbing in an overly dramatic way. That's just how I roll.

P.S. I quit my morning job that had me working at 5AM every morning. I'm hoping this will allow me more time to blog and pursue leisurely activities that involve acting/reading/thinking big things. Should be easy now that I'm not cracked out on caffeine...though I've just come to find that I have a severe coffee addiction due to the SEVEN cups of coffee I use to consume daily to get through 4 jobs and only 4 hours of sleep a night. Caffeine withdrawal is no joke kids.

Apologizes are in order.

2010-03-30T04:50:00.003-04:00

Dear PG Tips and Tetley ( in addition to the entire British nation),

I have betrayed you. I have gone over to the dark side and have obtained a coffee making device so as to better include coffee into my daily life...(not my fault, a friend gave it to me, I swear!)

PG, I ran out of you ages ago and have never gotten around to replenishing your supply. For this I am shamed. In my defence, you can't possibly provide for me the caffeine kick I need to function with my insane 75-95 hour work weeks. Something needed to be done.

I hear coffee has loads of antioxidants.

I'm sorry, that was rude...you'll always be my one true love. I'll return to you when I return to my path to England. Soon....so soon....

Random: Best Friends and Inappropriate Humor

2010-02-24T15:09:00.003-05:00

Here's a just a few comments demonstrating the awesomeness of my friends:

From my roommate, whom I see even less than I write on this blog, and when I do see him it's when I'm in my pajamas, brushing my teeth and getting ready to pass out for the four hours that constitute my REM time:

Me: So what you're saying is that my pajamas are a total cock-block.

Mark: Yes (Coming from the man standing in sweat pants and crocks)...and come to think of it, so are mine. If we had anybody over right now, our pajamas would be the cock-block and nobody would want to sleep with us.

(At this point I do believe I had toothpaste running down my face because I was laughing so hard.)

Comment #2 comes courtesy my friend, Ten. We get on well because our personalities are like two peas in a pod, especially when it comes to inappropriate humor. When we hang out, trouble happens and too much wine is usually consumed. She said this in regards to when she comes down to D.C. to visit me:

Ten: I say we make flashcards of the congressmen, and when they buy us a drink we get to collect that one. It'll be our little game.

I'm pretty sure my friends are better than yours.

And I do believe, with how much we love inappropriate humor, these comments are quite 'PG' rated in comparison to our usual conversations.

You're welcome.

I wear many hats on my big head.

2010-02-08T19:54:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd clue you all in to why I've been absolutely insane, crazy, busy lately. As I have this intense aversion to real "adult" jobs, a.k.a. boring desk jobs, I currently hold 4, count 'em 4!, part-time jobs. All of which are way fun.

Schedule for jobs currently: open gym at 5:30 A.M. (have to get up by 4 in order to get ready and be at the gym by 5:15. Good Lord.), work till 11 A.M. Drive and eat lunch at the same time on the way to job #2--Dog walking! I usually do this for about 3 hours, till 3 or 4 depending on which dogs I'm walking. There's lots of driving around as I am required to have my car close by in case any emergency occurs where I need to bring a dog to the hospital. Once I'm done there I race home so I can have an hour or two to myself for dinner and sometimes sit comatose, staring at the tv (lack of sleep can do some wacky things to people). Finally, quite a few nights I am a house manager at two separate Shakespeare theatres and those nights take me well into 10-11 P.M. These theatre jobs also take up quite a bit of my weekend time as well.

But all this is in the name of great fun and a paycheck. I can, officially, pay all my bills...at least for right now.

Donations welcome.

At least I get to see plays for free...and I heart ALL my co-workers...and ALL my customers/patrons/gym members. Can you say that?

But boy do I miss having a social life. And acting. When do I get to do that again? I better freaking get into grad school cause I don't know how much longer I can survive fun jobs.

Cheers and drink a beer for me!

Lindsay

Snowpocalypse

2010-02-06T20:27:00.004-05:00

My car, Betsy, buried in the snow.

How nice that I leave Western New York in search of greener pastures in D.C. and what do I get?! The damn snow follows me here. Thanks D.C. Awesome. Though on the positive side, as D.C. does not know how to properly handle this kind of weather, all my jobs got canceled today! And my promise is, that if the same thing happens tomorrow, I'll blog my little heart out and catch up on my blog reading/commenting. Oh the excitement!

Till then here's a crappy little video I made with my camera.

Enjoy, you lucky bastards. And if it's sunny where you are, I don't want to hear about it.

Dear Blog, I miss you.

2010-02-04T17:15:00.002-05:00

Organization, insanity, and lack of sleep. That is the summarization of my life right now. I currently have four jobs. Last week I worked 72 hours, next week 65, and the last two weeks will each clock in around 75 hours each. Go me. This is what happens when you have an aversion to "normal" people jobs (aka desk jobs).

The upside: all my jobs are fun and yeah for money!

Downside: no social life, no idea how I'm going to get around to getting my stuff done for grad school, no sleep over 6 hours (mostly 4 hours a night, 6 hours would constitute a goooood night), and, with news of the impending snow storm that's to hit D.C. this weekend, I'm crossing my fingers I'm snowed in on Saturday so I can just relax. And catch up on some blog time.

I miss you blog.

Pure Evil.

2010-01-19T15:26:00.004-05:00

Dear Haagen-Dazs,

Just stop it with the insane deliciousness. You are pure evil my friend, reeling me in with only five ingredients (all of which I recognize), making me feel good about not consuming weird, factory-made ingredients I can't pronounce. But your 3 servings per pint, with 22 grams of sugar per serving is what has me hooked. And my body does not thank you.

The end.

Of my waistline.

About Nothing In Particular

2010-01-12T09:47:00.004-05:00

Currently I am holing myself up in The Igloo (aka my new apartment, which is an English basement and retains cold very well). This whole week I'm going to be very busy working every day from about 11am till 8pm with two different jobs. This somehow equals me not getting anything else done. Don't ask me to explain how it works, that's just how it goes. If I don't start off my day hyped up on caffeine, plan in hand, then I putz around in the morning, then fall into work for the day, running late for everything, ending up frazzled and feeling unaccomplished. It really is a vicious cycle that I don't have a plan to end anytime soon.

So today, I'm in my room with the heat turned on (oh the luxury! who knows how expensive this heat will end up costing me...if anyone has some good tips to heating a basement apartment without running the window heater all the time, feel free to pass on the information) and I'm planning to sit and read through all my blogs I follow. I haven't done it in ages and I feel I'm out of the loop in my blogsphere. It almost makes me miss being a receptionist, where I was on the computer all day and had the time to keep up with some of my more frequent posting blog friends. I've actually thought about trying to get a third job as an apartment concierge at night just so I can catch up on blog and book reading.

Don't think I'm joking.....

Some semi-exciting things I haven't blogged about:

-Friday night I worked at the National Cathedral, which was a.maz.ing. Seriously, if you live in D.C. or are visiting and you haven't been here yet, get yourself out there. Especially if you love architecture, like I do (in a I-Know-Nothing-About-It-But-It-Looks-So-Cool kinda way), then you will enjoy getting lost around this place. Well, I don't think normal tourists can go running amok like I was able to, so you may now commence being jealous. And not too many people can go running around here at night. I had visions of Gothic tales running through my head as I lost myself in dark, winding staircases that lead to the balconies and other such destinations I did not pursue.

-Friday night after work I met some friends out in the U St area at Cafe Saint-Ex, located on 14th st nw and T st nw. I really liked this bar a lot. Upstairs looked reasonably classy (as in, not a dive or an "Ohmygod, what did I just step in?!" kind of joint) and a great place to talk and drink. Then you head downstairs to a tiny room for dancing! The room is really not that big which means that you're not really busting out all your sexy dance moves. Instead you just kind of shift your weight back and forth on your feet to the beat. Which I kind of liked. I think it helped that it felt the Arctic outside and therefore the sweaty dance floor wasn't really sweaty, more like cozy warm with fantastic music.

-After St-Ex off we gallivanted to Grand Central in Adam's Morgan ("amorg" is how the locals call it apparently), which was fun and we met some great people (outside of a few creepy, 40-year old men grinding up behind us on the dance floor repetitively....hello relocation-on-the-dance-floor...it's my favorite dance move.)

-Around 2 a.m. we were required, by Amorg law, to go consume a jumbo slice (of pizza). It was delicious. From what I remember.

-Saturday was a trip to Ikea for a round of disappointment. We always expect so much and then find so little. Afterwards, I had my first experience with Dungeons and Dragons. I'll definitely have to post more about this later. I think I'm going to like it though. And don't be all shocked. It's a role-playing game and as an actress, that's what I do. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Okay this is turning into an excessively long post about nothing in particular (exactly as I intended for this blog). Just a wad of randomness for your viewing pleasure. You are welcome.

And now, here's a random photo of the books I should be reading, with a few plays slipped in there as well.

(From Left to Right: The English American by Alison Larkin (finished reading it in a day and it was awesome. I'm pretty sure there were direct quotes in that book that I've said or thought before when it comes to acting and creativity), Constance by Patricia Clapp (a kids book that my BFF really loved and lent to me to read. I love it when people do that. I want to read something that's meant a lot to people that mean a lot to me), The Christmas Books by Charles Dickens, 101 Wines by Gary Vaynerchuk (Christmas gift from my brother, yeah wine!), the plays: Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello, Closer by Patrick Marber (already read a few years ago, but it's a favorite and now I own it!), The Three Sisters by Anton Checkhov, and The Women by Clare Boothe Luce (the one made into a movie. Never knew it was a play until my little sis clued me in, so of course I have to see if it's any good!). Then there's The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone (I like the idea of doing vegetarian and vegan foods some of the time but not full time and her book split it up very nicely in neat little categories. Don't judge me.), Dear Fatty by Dawn French (thanks to my Welsh friend, Louise, for sending this to me because I can't get it here and I luuuuvre Dawn French!), and finally, Sing to Me, Saigon by Kathryn Jensen (another lent one from the same BFF).

These are just some of the books I've been beating myself up over not reading yet. I still have about 200 hundred more, located elsewhere in this very room, that I need to read this year. Oh dear. I feel a new resolution coming on!!

Dear Coffee, I love you.

2010-01-07T10:08:00.004-05:00

Had my first cup of coffee in what feels like forever but is more like only a few days, maybe a week, and I am feeling goooood. Caffeine is definitely my drug of choice. I really should just go out and buy a coffee maker, but I am far too lazy and I love going into Cowgirl Creamery and sitting in the window seat with a cup of their coffee...which is just like crack. Seriously.

I haven't had much motivation to do anything productive in the new year, which may have something to do with the fact that I spent up my allotment of motivation on moving from one apartment to another on New Year's Eve. That was enough change for me, I didn't need to start any new resolutions on New Year's day. Right now I'm waiting till I recover from the move before I jump into my brand new, shiny habits, that I look forward to breaking in 2 months, per tradition. Yeah for New Year's resolutions!

Now that all my crap is moved I'll need all the coffee my stomach can bear to get pumped about unpacking and getting organized. You'd be surprised at what I get done when I have a To-Do list to avoid. I've spent hours watching crap tv (just got cable for the first time in MONTHS, oh dear god. good bye social life.), watching random short videos online (hello internet!), googling all the celebrity gossip I've missed out on by not having cable (good bye brain. it was nice having you for awhile.), and trying to dig up all the information on old high school friends who have made recent trips to the slammer.

Someone save me from myself, like, now.

All these lovely avoidance tactics have also helped me run from the fact that I need to find a third job. Ah yes. The joys of paying a rent I can't really afford. I'm too stubborn to get a real nine-to-five job, I love my two part-time jobs way too much. They are just too much fun to give up. When else in life am I going to say that someone pays me to play with puppies and theatre geeks? Never. While I'm in D.C. I am sticking with the dog-walking and theatre house management. Now I just need one more job to add like 15-20 hours onto my week, because as you may have noticed from the paragraph above, I have too much time on my hands. And too much time somehow equates to getting nothing done. I'm not sure how it works out like that, but it does. The busier I am means the more I get focused and in charge of getting shit done.

So as of right now, I'm signed up to help out at a bookstore of one of the big time university's in the D.C. area. It will hopefully work out quite perfectly because I'm only needed till the semester starts around January 19th. That will give me time to find some other third job to take on, when this assignment is done, that will be fun and flexible with the hours I keep at my other two jobs.

Also a goal: figuring out how to get involved in something creative before I go insane. It's been far too long since I've actually performed in any theatre or written anything (at least since my abysmal attempt at National Novel Writing Month in November). My natural reaction to not doing anything creative/dramatic is to create drama in my daily life. It's not something I purposely do, but just a reflex that occurs when I don't have a way of channeling my dramatic tendencies.

What can I say? I'm a Leo through and through.

xxLindsay

P.S. Just watched "(500) Days of Summer". Heartbreakingly awesome. I love the format in which they chose to tell the story. Go rent it, right now.

New Year, Maybe Some New Posts

2009-12-28T11:49:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, you know you haven't posted in awhile when even your Mom notices and makes a comment.

Well hello there blog world. I've missed you. No apologizes here though, I hate those posts, and also I've been busy. It's been a mad crazy month. I'm moving into a new apartment with my roommate later this week and I'll actually have my own room! (Currently am residing in my roommate's living room, have been since August) But now comes the stress and worry of shouldering a hefty rent price. Welcome to city living.

My New Year's resolutions have to do with finances (can you say third job?), health (losing that Christmas weight, thanks for the fudge Mom), and boys (i.e. working on developing a sixth sense that tells me to not develop crushes on boys that have girlfriends. Cause those crushes are pointless and frustrating).

In addition, I should be posting more stuff about traveling and doing fun stuff on practically no money. I am a magician when it comes to stuff like that and can practically pull money out my ass when fun and travel is on the line.

Much more theatre and play reviews shall be posted as well. I have an extremely tall stack of plays to read and I'm going to bore ya'll with every bit of it. Yeah! Funness!

I'm not sure when I'll find time to do all the reading I want to do as my roommate and I are getting cable and reliable internet when we move into the new place. I've already decided I'm going to Netflix Battlestar Galactica and Mad Men, watch Lost on Hulu and obsessively watch the Travel Channel (new season of Anthony Bourdain, woohoo!!!) and the Food Network (cause I'm sure that will benefit the whole watching my weight aspect of my new year's resolutions).

Are you excited?! Cause I am.

I am so over 2009.

xo Lindsay

Open Letter To The Male Population Of The World

2009-12-10T10:02:00.004-05:00

Dear entire male population of the world,

Be bold. I mean more bold than you are. I am very irritated with you all right now. Well, almost all of you. Mainly just the ones that have crushes on me but don't make it very obvious at all and won't make the first move, which just leaves me guessing as to your true intentions and whether or not you actually do like me. You like to send signals like you might like me, but sometimes signals get crossed...or I'm just a bit on the clueless side and not very good at picking up signals. (Is the free coffee a signal???)

Just so you know: I will not make the first move. I will not ask for your number. I am not bold. Especially when it comes to you, cute guys that I like. You make me nervous. I may be bold in all other aspects of my life. I can get on stage in my underwear in front of hundreds of paying theatre patrons and act all crazy and still respect myself in the morning (no, I'm not a stripper, I'm an actress. Yes, there is a difference.)

The little bits of conversation I can produce for you is as good as it's going to get for you and me. You need to step up and take initiative. Yes, I am all about Feminism and having equal rights, but that doesn't do anything for my shyness. So, damnit, step up. Be bold.

Otherwise...I really should just join the nunnery. It might just be easier.

Love,

Single In D.C. (Which sucks and produces awful posts like this one )

(Only posting this cause I'm sure it'll make my friend, Jen laugh....yeah for my awkwardness.)

D.C. LOVES the Cold Rainy Days

2009-12-09T10:05:00.004-05:00

Today is yet another cold, rainy, gross weather day in D.C.

Personally, I love these kinds of days. They're reminiscent of my time in London, of cups of tea and a good book, long naps, and cuddling under blankets watching a movie. But not in D.C. Oh no! In D.C. I walk dogs for a living. Some dogs, in case you didn't know, DO NOT like the rain, at all. My main goal as a dog walker is getting the wee little ones to pee. Sure exercise is important but it's peeing that they have to do or I can't leave. So when it's raining and I have to walk a Yorkie that abhors the rain and will not even go near the front door, this makes my day very difficult.

Granted, my worst day as a dog walker is 100 times better than my best day as a receptionist. I rather like it that my main frustration is the bowel habits of a small, cuddly animal instead of the idiocy of the general public.

Well, I'll just have to make a large, steaming cup of Dark Chocolate Cocoa with a candy cane as a stirrer and crank some Christmas tunes...because sugar and obnoxiously peppy holiday music always helps. I think I was brainwashed that way. ;)

I'll leave you with a picture from back home in Western New York where the weather really is frightful, but I'd be singing "Let It Snow!" just so I wouldn't have to deal with this D.C. wet, winter weather.

Holiday Spirit

2009-12-08T10:48:00.007-05:00

Ways I've been getting into the holiday spirit:

--Currently I'm munching on slightly burnt popcorn (YUM!) and Hershey's Dark Cocoa with a candy cane as a stirring stick. It. Is. Amazing.

--Last night I had the dark chocolate cocoa mixed with a little over 1/4 cup of Mint Chocolate Bailey's and sipped on that while watching Fred Claus and decorated my mini tree in my apartment with my roomie.

(This is the before picture, officially, because my roommate will be taking down the decorations when he gets mini lights and other such decorations and then re-decorating the whole thing to appear more pleasing to the eye. I'm just excited about a tree. A Tree! A Tree!! Yeah Christmas!!!)

--I'm currently reading Charles Dickens' Christmas Books and I've completely forgotten how much I love reading Dickens. The Christmas Carol is fantastic! (Oh and for my viewing pleasure later this month, "The MUPPET Christmas Carol" is a Necessity. Full on holiday requirement. Along with "It's a Wonderful Life".)

--I've already re-read David Sedaris' Holidays On Ice, which is also a seasonal requirement. Read it for the inappropriate humor. It's beyond awesome.

--Last weekend I visited my brother in Philly and we hung out at a Borders there having a sugary mocha drink with caramel and peppermint pieces on top (well that was all me...he just stuck with coffee), all the while checking out numerous things I wanted to put on my Christmas list and laughing at photos he took on his phone from Thanksgiving. Example of the fun-ness:

Yup...this was a totally random post that I used as an excuse to put up random photos because I'm just random and have nothing interesting to say at the moment. Might be the intense sugar high I'm on right now, because it's the holiday season, I've been listening to waaaaay too much holiday music and sugar is my drug of choice right now. And caffeine of course. Does that even need to be stated?

LOVE you all,

Me.

Positively Perky

2009-12-03T10:47:00.003-05:00

I am feeling unusually perky today. And for once it has little to do with how much caffeine is running through my veins (only one cup of coffee today, shocking!). It does in part have to do with the fact that just yesterday, after work, I was laid up with the worst flare-up of my Crohn's Disease that I've had since moving to D.C. I won't go into details but if you've ever experienced a partial bowel obstruction, you'll know my pain a little bit.

Today, however, I woke up feel fan-freakin-tastic. That's what happens when I starve myself for 8+ hours in order to get better. I just need to be careful what I eat today and make sure it'll be nothing that puts stress on my tummy...in other words, nothing too difficult to digest. The grand plan is to eat something relatively small every three hours so I don't get completely starving and have to fight the reflex to gorge. This usually works.

Crohn's would be a great diet if it wasn't so painful sometimes.

And now after that over share (you are so welcome), I give you a great pick-me-up story from the Washington Post, just click here. I picked this story up from one of my friends after she posted it on Facebook. (I definitely communicate with people more over Facebook than I do over email. It's beyond ridiculous.) I'll definitely be checking this exhibit out and will report back ;)

Now just to tease you, especially if you don't live in D.C., here's a nice little photo I took awhile ago of some of Georgetown Cupcakes. One is Chocolate Lava, once I bit into it the gooey center oozed out, and that's hot fudge on top. The other one is white chocolate peppermint, one of their holiday specials. And special it was. It actually had a small piece of white chocolate embedded in the bottom. These did not last long. I'm not sure I can try any other cup cakeries around town because that is how much I love this place. But I suppose I shall suffer through it in the name of research. Sigh.

"Nothing to do, nowhere to be/A simple kind of free/Nothing to do, no one but me/And that's all I need/I'm perfectly lonely..."

2009-11-24T10:56:00.003-05:00

A great way to start off a day (besides my mandatory cup of coffee from Cowgirl Creamery) is rocking out to John Mayer's new album "Battle Studies" (Perfectly Lonely lyrics as title of post) and some old stuff by Citizen Cope. I'm feeling very mellow and yet jazzed up (is it the caffeine she inquires?).

I'm currently making some lentil tacos for a quick lunch before work. I'll have to get the recipe up here if I haven't already cause it. is. amazing. I really do have to thank my sis-in-law for getting me hooked on these...though hers will always remain mad good (thanks Estelle!).

Can I just say I can't wait for Thanksgiving?! It's going to be great, despite being on the road for the majority of my time off and only being home for less than 3 days. I'm driving off to Philly to pick up my brother tonight after I get out of work at the theatre around 9:30ish. Once there it's sleep for about 4 hours, get up, caffeinate, hop back on the road and we're off to Rochester, NY! There will be audio book fun happening and with two siblings on a 5 hour car ride with some intense dark coffee coursing through their veins things will be on the insane fun side. Trust me. My family veers on the wacky side. We manage to down play it in polite company but mixing any of us together and things get a bit out of hand.

Example: Every major holiday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter, etc., etc., we always go to a movie because we're not really close enough to visit our relatives. And every major holiday the entire family gets into a big, close to knock-down-brawl that may or may not include visual aids, hand gesturing, and threats/attempts on lives when it comes to deciding which movie we should see. This may be a slight exaggeration but welcome to my random acts of drama.

Ah, holidays...what fun it shall be. ;)

xo, Lindsay

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." -Henry Ford

2009-11-23T09:41:00.004-05:00

In other words, I got schooled, son.

Let me just preface this blog with I had an awesome time NYC and this weekend was just a big ol' ball of fabulousness. Best idea ever to stay with my friend Jen (Hi Jen!).

That being said, I certainly got an education.

The audition actually went very well and I'm so proud of my monologue work. I loved all the people that came out to audition for Central. They were my kinda people. As in the kind of people that are all "I freaking love everything to do with theatre and I just want to learn". And here I was all afraid I was going to run into the stuck-up kinda theatre people, who treat it like a special club that you're not invited to join. Completely not the case.

As a result of attending this audition, learning what goes on during a Master's course in acting, doing a pre-audition warm up with everyone, and meeting some innately awesome people, I've come to the conclusion that further education is the exact path I want to be on when it comes to acting.

As a result of actually doing the audition, which was my two monologues and a brief interview, I've learned that the Central School of Speech and Drama's MA in Classical Acting course is not for me. Or I'm not for it. I'm not really sure which. But I do appreciate the brutal honesty that was exacted on my person by, as he shall now be referred to as, a Dear, Mr. Martin.

He was blunt and straight to the point as I was informed, I "do not have the educational background it takes to perform in the master's program at this school". I did, actually, already know that but was hoping that a master's program would take me regardless of my lack of education and based on my work history in theatre. Dear, Mr. Martin did explain to me that he thought I should try for, if not going for another BA, an MFA which would be two years instead of one and would provide me with more "studio time" (aka-acting classes).

I found this whole experience to be.....kind of fantastic. I did go into all of this not fully aware if I qualified for this kind of program and Dear, Mr. Martin gave me a wealth of knowledge that I will be taking home with me this week to digest and research. I think he was correct in saying that I'm not right for this particular program...but I do think I'm going to email the other schools I'm interested in and find out if they feel the same after looking at my theatre resume.

I would still love to do a master's degree course. But I shall surely be looking into some MFA programs in England as well now.

(Can I just say that the 14-year old me, a hard-core drama queen pessimist, is slightly gagging at the positivity of it all. But what can I say? Over a year ago I was sitting behind a desk as a receptionist, working part time in retail, doing nothing that involved theatre or acting and I felt like my soul was dying. Now I'm actually taking action to figure out how to go through with further education. The twenty-something me is jumping up and down with excitement because I've got a freakin' purpose. Take that and chew on it, internal angsty-teen.)

And even though I do not see this as a failure at all...I'll leave ya'll with these two quotes by one Dear Mr. Beckett:

"To be an artist is to fail, as no other dare to fail...."

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."

State of Things

2009-11-18T18:10:00.005-05:00

(Taken by me while at the D.C. Zoo)

Here's a video of an Orangutan hiding under his blankey...add a bottle of red wine by his side and you'll come to some comprehension of the state of things for me exactly 3 days away from my very first graduate school audition.

My monologues, I'd like to say, are going well. But I'm not going to really say that...because actually they aren't currently going at all, I mean as well as I'd like them to move. They're more in a halting state. This is very frustrating because I am totally in love with my monologues.

One of them is particularly difficult for me because I've never played any kind of character like her...which is why I picked it...and I've got the words down, but I can't quite make the emotions rise up to the surface and show through. The other monologue is so perfectly suited to my personality and I'm very comfortable wearing this character's very refined shoes...but the words won't straighten themselves out. I know them. Oh, how I know them. But it's like a slow train moving up a hill, halting every couple of feet and jerking everyone around that's on board. I'll get halfway through it and then...bam!...blank.

Now just so you understand a bit about me...this is completely how I work. It's sporadic and not at all professional. But when I'm in a show, even as close as a week away from opening, I'm still glancing at the script and halting a bit. It's like I can't fully operate smoothly until I'm actually in the deep end. You can't see how well I swim if I'm only miming it to you, just throw me in already.

Crazy right? (And THIS is why I really should go to grad school...get trained up a bit, mmm?)

I do think I'll perform quite alright. It's just....I'm getting on my own nerves.

And I just ate a humongous chicken fajita bowl from Chipotle, with an extra scoop of rice, and now I'm going to have a burrito baby. Seriously, stick me with string and float me in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I need to break up with Chipotle soon. It's an abusive relationship and I just keep coming back for more. Which makes me cranky.

So...note to self....no Chipotle on Saturday, as it is the day before my audition. In fact...maybe I'll just stick with cupcakes and coffee....cause I'm sure that'll go well.

Okay, note to Jen, whom I will be staying with in NYC this weekend (yeah!!): do not let me eat too many carbs or horrible things that make me feel bloated.

Excellent. Back to hiding under my blankey. See ya'll when I'm sane...which will be sometime after 1pm on Sunday.

Best Cupcakes (So Far)

2009-11-12T10:02:00.004-05:00

Hello blog world, how I've missed you! I haven't been able to find the time to blog lately, though I have been thinking up great blog ideas left and right. I've been preparing for my grad school audition that is taking place November 22nd in New York City and until then my blogging, and quite frankly my social life as well, have been put on a brief and bittersweet hold.

Tell I can get back, just thought you should know:

Best cupcakes in D.C. yet so far that I've found are from Georgetown Cupcake. We had to wait in line for these babies this past Saturday and it was worth it! I tried the chocolate coconut (top left corner) and then was only able to eat half of the pumpkin cupcake (top right corner) before lapsing into a sugar coma. They were moist on the inside and the frosting seemed to have been just made as it almost melted off the top. They were beyond good. Instantly addictive. I will now commence dreaming about these cupcakes.

I can't officially award them Best in DC yet, I still need to try Love Cafe cupcakes and Hello Cupcake as well. I take my cupcake ratings very seriously, people. It's practically my job. Hell, why isn't it my job? Who would like to pay me to try out cupcakes? Anybody? Ah well...

Love,

Cupcake-Whore

I Heart Julia.

2009-11-03T10:32:00.004-05:00

If you should happen to partake in the joys of D.C. I can offer you a few kindly, money saving suggestions. Such as rule number one: don't bring your car (see previous post) or stay somewhere that has parking off street and then there's rule number two: for a cheap lunch/dinner/late night snack, reap the benefits of Julia's Empanada's. I was able to get a delicious chorizo empanada (Spanish sausage, rice, and black beans, yum!!) and a diet coke for under $5 and these empanada's are filling as well. I first ate here at the Adam's Morgan location...but I don't remember it much besides thinking "delicious NomNomNom". I tried it again recently at the Columbia Heights location and wasn't disappointed. The guy working behind the counter seemed to be quite knowledgeable on the product as I heard him giving a bit of a history lesson to the old couple in front of me. Good food and an education! The nerd in me celebrates!

Mmmm, chorizo!

Lindsay

D.C. Parking Enforcement Is Out To Get Me.

2009-11-02T21:02:00.003-05:00

The picture you see above it one taken from the public cork board for my building, found down in the lobby by the mailboxes.

The D.C. Parking Enforcement, and specifically Officer Fisher, is out to get me.

I flat out refuse to change my license or my plates. I am a New Yorker damnit and I shall return to the motherland someday. If I don't get into grad school I want to move my ass over to NYC to try my hand there for awhile. I'm a nomad and changing my plates is not part of the nomad way. It costs money, money that is better used for say, oh i don't know, bills! And it says to people "hiya! yes I am staying here for awhile and so is my car." That's really not what I want to say...neither does my car. Betsy is a full on New Yorker herself and would like to stay that way, thankyouverymuch. (Yes I name my car, get over it.)

I think possibly someone in my building may have posted this sign in response to both myself and my roommate, who is sticking to his Washington State license plates as well, and as we're the only ones within a 3 block radius with out-of-state plates, who else would they be directing this to? Though my brother did mention that it could be something someone printed out numerous copies of and posted all around...but I say, highly unlikely Sir! Much easier to believe they're out to get me!

Officer Fisher has been so kind as to post onto my windshield a total of three parking tickets and the last two within the span of a week. And I even use my car for work now, so it's only ever parked there three hours in the morning. Which, of course, is an hour longer than permitted in the zoned parking area, but give me a break!

I've decided to try and outsmart them by parking on the street that runs directly into my street, where there is no zoned parking. It is, however, the exact line that crosses my hood from semi-safe in the daylight to ohmygod-i'm-going-to-be-mugged-at-10a.m.-in-broad-daylight, when you cross that line. So a bit of a gamble. A little Russian roulette never hurt anyone, right?

This morning when I went online to pay one of the parking tickets I was surprised to find that I also happened to have been caught speeding on New York Avenue last week by the annoying cameras and wire trips implanted into the road, and have been issued a $100 speeding ticket in addition to my two $30 parking tickets. Yeah D.C.! The douche bag award is officially yours. You've earned it! Welcome to our nation's capitol, where out-of-state cars are not really tolerated or, what the hell, even allowed, period. And forget about speeding on empty streets...it doesn't matter that you were in a life or death situation that requires you to speed more the 15mph above the speed limit (hey, trying to make it home from a friend's house late at night without falling asleep at the wheel totally qualifies, end of story).

Anyways. Just thought I'd share. Now I'm going to totally make this into a whole, march-on-the-mall-with-picket-signs, kinda issue. What can I say, I'm an activist at heart.

NY-er fo' life.

Word to yo' mama.

L-Dub, queen of the hyphen.

Just A Quickie

2009-10-29T10:31:00.005-04:00

So I've only got a few minutes to write up a post. I've been dying to write something lately because I've got a lot to talk about, what with my new job and all, but haven't had the time, what with my new job and all.

November is quickly upon us and there so much going on that it borders on the slightly ridiculous, especially considering that only 6 months ago I was completely bored with my life and trying desperately to find something interesting to fill it up.

On November 22nd I've got my official audition time slot for Central School of Speech and Drama. I am beyond excited and nervous. I need to get organized...like, yesterday. But I'm confident all will go well. What's great is that I'll get to stay with a friend of mine in NYC (Hi, Jen!) that I haven't seen in months, so it'll be fantastic to catch up and also be able to see New York City again.

This Sunday is the official start of National Novel Writing Month, which I am participating in this year and will fully dedicate myself to actually finishing the word count...unlike last year. I've also convinced my Mom to join up and I have a few friends who are also participating, so yeah reading/writing buddies! If anybody else who may read this blog wants a reading/writing buddy, just send me your username and I'll friend you on the website (or send you my username), support is good during these trying times ;) And like a lot of other bloggers, I am going to attempt to blog a little bit everyday. The whole NaNoWriMo project is really just a great way to practice creativity and discipline. We'll see how well I do, as "discipline" has never been a word that one associates with myself.

Eventually I'll blog about my day job, dog walking (oh yeah, you can now be mad jealous, son), because oh the tales I can tell about this job. It's awesome, I get to be outside everyday, the schedule is beyond fantastic, and I get to play with dogs and get paid for it. Also, new discover, it. is. EXHAUSTING. But that might be cause I haven't held a day job where I'm on my feet all day in quite some time. So hopefully the exhaustion aspect will change soon.

Because my audition is near the end of the month, I've decided that from November 1st till the 22nd I'm going to try and be on my best behavior, health wise. I'm giving up candy and pastry items (I've been over dosing, recently, on sugar. 'Tis the season.) and when I go out on the town I'll have a three drink max rule. Also, yoga and exercise, outside of the day job, everyday. If possible. I just want to feel my best when my audition comes around and hopefully this will help me develop healthy habits for when the grad school audition season is in full swing (January-March I'd say). I haven't decided if I can part with my coffee addiction. Right now it's at peak level, resulting in me doing crazy things, as such:

Photo courtesy of my Dad. Who rocks.

So yeah. Addiction, kids. It ain't pretty.

Love, caffeine aficionado,
Lindsay

Things You Don't Want To Know About Your Parents

2009-10-18T15:55:00.004-04:00

This is a Public Service Announcement: Do Not Show Your Parents the Movie "Failure To Launch".

You may think this is funny now...but you will regret it immediately if you show your parents this movie and let it get into their heads that they too need a "Naked Room" in the house after you've flown the coup. Then, when in the midst of conversation on the phone with the 'rents, your Mom mentions that "well your father said he's going to go hang out in the Naked Room", you will be adding this comment to the official list of Things You Don't Want To Know About Your Parents. Other things will pass through your brain as well that will horrify and shock you, such as: Which room is the Naked Room? Is it your's or your sister's room? Will you ever be able to make a surprise visit again? (The answer is no.) Is sitting down on furniture allowed when in the Naked Room? WHICH ROOM IS THE NAKED ROOM?

Now you need to go drink heavily/get a lobotomy/pour boiling water on your brain. And who really wants to go through that? (And by that I mean the last two.)

Your parents may make such comments about a Naked Room followed by partially smothered giggles that might make you doubt such claims...but is there any way to find out that doesn't involve trying to remove real time images from you head later? No.

So just listen to me when I say, best leave it alone. The movie is funny and awesome and, yes, your parents probably would get a kick out of it. But you really don't want to take the risk of them getting any ideas. Heaven forbid your parents start thinking crazy thoughts.

This has been a Public Service Announcement. You're welcome.

xo, Lindsay

Because You Were Dying To Know

2009-10-14T18:05:00.006-04:00

I'm currently experiencing a nasty mood brought on by intense jealousy of my brother and my sister-in-law because they are heading to London this Friday. There are other reasons, that I'm sure will bore you, why my mood is absolute shit that I won't go into.

Instead I'm distracting myself by playing Bridget Jones's Diary in the background (yes, I do take a few moments to mouth the words as being spoken, and I do know all the movements Renee does during the singing scene at the beginning, DON'T judge me...we all have our embarrassing personal tics) (also, can we just take a moment to appreciate that this movie has THE BEST entrance for Hugh Grant EVER, with the Aretha Franklin song playing and the elevator doors opening up to his yummyness. Word.), drinking some wine, cooking up a jacket potato for myself (this is what I do when I miss England...sigh....) and blogging about random stuff like the contents of my purse.

Because I'm sure you were dying to know.

And just so you know, usually I add a book or two, thick ones, to this collection. This here is just the bare minimum.

Contents of necessity: -NFT guide to D.C. If you've just moved to a new city, I'd highly recommend getting one of these guides. A map on every page and listings of restaurants/theaters/post offices, etc in every area next to each map....also, easy to read when drunk, so a guaranteed way of getting home without getting lost....as long as you can read a map while intoxicated that is, a skill carefully honed after many years of practice.

-My cute clutch wallet from Maurices.

-Cetaphil lotion, Midol, Ibuprofen, lady products, chapstick, hand sanitizer, hair clip, gum...explanation not necessary, you can never be too prepared.

-Journal with my motto for life on it "Keep Calm and Carry On", from an old British slogan sign.

-iPod for when I'm trekking across town.

-Weekly planner, can't really function without it.

-My resume....just in case....still no day job as of yet (but soon I'm sure!)

-A black Moleskin notebook, a small spiral notebook and multiple pens. The notebook is so I can remember things, the Moleskin is for notes on blog/book/theatre/writing ideas.

-Random book of matches from my friend Sara's wedding...because you never know when pyromania may kick in.

-Seafood watch pamphlet because when presented with fish I want to know if it's environmentally friendly. I mean, I'll still eat it...that'd be silly to turn down free fish...but at least I'd know whether or not to feel guilty about eating it. Not that that's ever stopped me from eating anything.

-And finally a play, this one is by Chekhov. I'm always carrying plays with me lately...gotta educate myself. Or just in case I want to give people on the street an impromptu dramatic performance, I am fully prepared....CONSTANT VIGILANCE (name that quote and you get a cookie...and a gold star for being just as geeky as I am).

Okay so Bridget is calling for my attention....and the food in front of me....and the wine as well.

And I'm sure after reading this post you'll probably want to go have some wine too...go on then. I don't judge.

Kisses.

P.S. When Bridget is about to go on tv for her first interview at the fire station, she's doing it in Lewisham...which is around the area where I use to live in London!! Yeah!

The Lost Symbol

2009-10-13T07:40:00.005-04:00

So I finally got my hands on a copy of one of the biggest, most anticipated books of the year, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol.

My impression......

Meh.

I would highly recommend it to people living in or from the D.C. area because he did so much research that it was like a fantastically written, fiction, tour guide book of D.C. I knew exactly where he was when he described certain locations and he used real buildings and streets. Which was great, loved that, bravo, well done. I've been meaning to write a book like that, that makes people want to visit the actual place because you describe it so well. I love the fact that The Da Vinci Code promoted tourism for certain sites in Europe and I hope that this book does the same for D.C.

That being said....

The book also seemed like one big, gigantic, wet kiss to the Freemasons. Granted I knew nothing about this organization at all before....and now that I've read this book....meh. I really don't care to learn anything new.

I got bored, then irritated, when Robert Langdon would go on page long tangents explaining things to the lesser beings around him. Now, I love learning something new as much as the next nerd, but sometimes it was just a bit dry and I was never sure if it was pertinent to the storyline.

On the other hand....I do want to say that even though I didn't super-duper love this book, I am still happy that it was highly anticipated. I'm all about the books that gets people excited to read. Just like with the Harry Potter books, just like with Twilight...if it gets people curious and draws in people who wouldn't normally ever voluntarily pick up a book, then bravo to you sir.

And that's all I say on that.

xxoo, Lindsay

Weekend Recap, Hard Cider Not Included.

2009-10-12T09:31:00.014-04:00

Well, the only thing I can say about the last blog I posted is that hard cider may or may not have been involved......I'll admit to nothing. Now would be a good time to distract all from the last post by flashing pretty photos of food items and rambling on about fantastic things I got up to this weekend, even though I'm dirt poor.

You should be jealous.

My weekend started on Thursday. I consider weekends fun, so when my fun starts and the panicky, guilty feeling about not having a day job recedes, that's when my weekend begins. So my weekend began with organic coffee, a vegan cupcake that very well blew my mind!, and hanging out with a sorority sister that I haven't seen in years. So yes...cupcake and coffee:

This delicious snack was courtesy of Sticky Fingers Bakery which my friend Mel and I stumbled upon when asking a local up in Columbia Heights what cafe we could kill some time in before heading to an apartment viewing. We needed something that was not a Starbucks as I just wanted a regular cup of coffee and I can't stand Starbucks coffee.

Sticky Fingers is an all vegan bakery, which made me a little hesitant because I've never had a vegan cupcake, but damn....it was good. And it was a whole lot cheaper than a lot of other cupcakery's that I've tried around D.C. (I'm attempting to try every cupcake in D.C., will report back as to which one wins out in taste and price. Get excited.) And their coffee was excellent as well! God I love a good cup of coffee...and I loved how they had a sign up stating that if you brought your own mug you get 20% off coffee. Environmentally friendly + excellent cupcakes and coffee + cheap prices = I really hope I get that apartment in this area so I can come here more often. (Oh and the apartment itself is awesome, fingers crossed that my roommate and I can get it. I'd love to move out of his living room and into a bedroom of my very own!)

On to Friday... I walked around town, not really doing much...which happens to be my favorite kind of day, and I decided that I would give in and try Good Stuff Eatery, which was created by Spike from the show Top Chef. I never watched...that's just what they tell me.

I got the De-Lechable Leche Milkshake and the Farmhouse Cheeseburger. All this for $12.36. Now as I am without a day job, and because I had to wait 40 minutes to get it, not quite worth it. And the burger guy put his thumb (he did have on gloves) directly in the middle of the burgers while making them...which makes me a tad squeamish. The burger itself was delicious, though a little crushed. I definitely would consider going back and getting it again...though I might have to try mid afternoon when it's not anywhere near lunch or dinner. I went around 1:30, thinking that was a good time to avoid lunch rush hour, and yes, I was wrong. I waited 30 minutes just to order and another 10 for the burger and shake to get to me. I do have to say that the older, silver haired gentleman working there was awesome. He came up to me when he noticed I had been waiting awhile, looked at my order and bustled off and found it for me. He was delightful and I think made all the customers around him feel better about waiting so long because he was just so nice! Honestly, that's hard to find in the food industry. Good Stuff did good with him.

The milkshake was amazing...though I think I'll only shell out for that when friends and family come visit from out of town or something. It was, however, so intensely sugary that I couldn't stop drinking it even when vomit threatened to happen, it was that good, and my mood took an immediate roller coaster ride. Only high levels of sugar can make me go from feeling super duper happy to angry and moody in 2.5 seconds. Luckily I went immediately to the cute little used bookstore over at 417 E. Capitol Street called Riverby Books and calmed myself down by browsing. Man I am such a nerd.

Friday night was a mix of fantastically cheap Chinese food, the movie "Couples Retreat" (see it for the yoga scene...could not stop laughing) and possible some cider's at Fado Irish Pub...maybe. I'll admit to nothing.

The Chinese food was from Chinatown Express (746 6th St. NW) and I will definitely be going back for more. My two friends and I consumed green tea, 3 beers, seafood dumplings, seafood noodles (made right there in front of a window that peers out onto the street), 2 vegetable spring rolls and 4 egg rolls for around $30. That to me is freaking awesome. Word. Pictures to prove the awesomeness:

Just a small sample of my noodles with a boiled Octopus on top. Yum!

My friend Jess taking a picture with the noodle guys. We are just that fun.

Now Saturday was a blur of couch surfing with my roommate, quarter drafts at Asylum in Adams Morgan and then home again, home again, jiggity jig, I was in bed by 10:30. Again, I am just too much fun, even for myself.

Sunday, though I was sad because I wasn't in Ohio for a friend's housewarming party due to lack of money to drive there, I was happily surprised by the fact that two of my friends living in the Odenton, MD area provided me with a ticket to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. I am all about the RenFests. I mean come on, eating turkey legs off the bone, drinking delicious Cider and Mead, being in the minority because you're not in costume = a.maz.ing times. Don't be too jealous now.

And that's all I got for now.

A parting picture of me with the highly anticipated turkey leg. Success!

Fondly,

L-Dub

Why I love Blogs.

2009-10-10T02:17:00.003-04:00

Dear Blog World,

This is my letter to you. I love the blog world. The instant replay of your life written out as quickly and as best you can. I feel connected to people who are not famous but are just normal people whom I love because I can relate to their words. Beautiful words. Describing love of theatre, books, acting, random daily events. These little things connect us. You may not notice it when you blog, but you are connecting with a whole other world out there. We may not comment on your blog, but we are here, admiring, laughing, nodding our heads in agreement with your post. Sometimes we reach out, sometimes we comment. We feel the need to connect and that is the beauty of the blogger world. Connection with people that you might not have meet up with in daily life. Learning new things about foreign places, or learning that you are not alone in your beliefs. Blogging is a new social frontier that I think brings us together and lets us expand our horizons in ways we can't experience in real time in our daily lives. This is all I have to say on this topic...some of my favorite blogs are thinking of ending and it makes me sad. Blogging doesn't need to be about venting alone. It can be about sharing of an experience, connecting with others. I hope that bloggers can take advantage of the opportunity to learn new ways to communicate, express their creativity, and take a moment to express how they feel about a certain subject.

Freedom of speech. It's a beautiful thing. Take advantage while you have the audience.

xoxo, LDD

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Email: LindsayDinsyDay (at symbol) gmail.com

Temping: Oh the Horror!

2009-10-05T20:11:00.003-04:00

I think people in line at Whole Foods could tell what kind of day I had at the office when I slammed on the conveyor belt my bottle of red wine (Folie a Deux's Menage a Trois, YUM!), a baguette and a bar of expensive dark chocolate.

No wonder office work can make people gain weight. They stress eat just because of the mundane bullshit one has to put up with.

Although I must say, in a new development, as a result of my current temping job I can now say that I actually kinda like old people! This is new for me, let's get excited!

Example as to why: Me-Hello sir, you called and left a message saying you were having problems with your password? Old Man-Yes, I'm old, 67 in fact and computers are beyond my time. Me-Okay, I can help. Proceed to seem like an absolute computer whiz-kid as I explain the 'Forgot Your Password' button and it's function. Old Man- Why thank you so much, young lady! Now I don't be mean to be vulgar but....really sir? I totally heart the vulgarity from unexpected sources, bring it!!....there's going to come a day when if you want to screw your wife you'll have to enter a password.

Now, as an unusual turn of events even for my long customer servicing history, it was the old people that rocked and the younger people that really, really, totally sucked. Especially the impatient, rude, condescending secretaries/personal assistants who just wanted me to get the username and password for their bosses because the bosses were way too busy and important to get it themselves and couldn't figure out how to log into the damn system. Unfortunately for them that's so totally against policy and boy-oh-boy do I luuuuuuuuvre throwing the Strictly Policy Clause at rude people. Take that! Pow! It's beyond my control! Boom! You are not nice! Pow! Boom! Bam!

I'm practically a ninja, but with manners...

Coffee: It's How I Get Shit Done.

2009-10-01T11:33:00.004-04:00

So I am officially cracked out on coffee at this very moment. I don't drink coffee on a daily basis for the specific reason of I want to be able to use it to get my caffeine high exactly when I want it. And I wanted that special, overly hyper, I can save the world with my pinkie, feeling today (imagine giving a 5-year old 3 cups of espresso, lots of candy and let them loose in a toy store...welcome to me right now, and I'm just sitting in my apartment at my computer ). Today, I am going to Get Shit Done. Also, I need the positive vibes of a pick-me-up drug because I'm having job drama...and I don't even have a day job yet.

I've signed on to use a temp agency here in D.C. to find me work. I've used them before with pretty okay results and since I need money stat in order to help get my roommate and I a new 2 bedroom apartment, I figured it'd be a good idea. However...it's kind of turning into quite a nuisance actually. Well the temp agency may have a gig for me tomorrow. They'll be calling me today to let me know if it's a definite or not.

So what's the problem you ask in that oh-so-bored tone? I have an interview tomorrow morning with a big chain bookstore, a chain I've worked with before and enjoyed. It's for the only position in the store that's got set work hours of Tuesday through Saturday 7am-11am. The position is only minimum wage, but the reason I want it is because this chain is an amazing corporation and will give me health insurance, even at part time. I'm also 99% sure that I have this job in the bag. I've had one interview with them that went very well and I've worked this exact position before a few years ago. However I'm not sure how receptive they'll be to me rescheduling the second interview.

Aaaaand now that I'm all hyped up on chemically-induced good vibes this really doesn't seem as stressful as I thought it was yesterday.

Also, to add to this semi-job situation, I applied to an independent bookstore yesterday expecting them to tell me they're not hiring and turns out they are hiring. They're very interested in speaking to me about a full time position, though I'm thinking my part time theatre job might be a hindrance for me getting that position. But it would be fantastic to work at an independent bookstore. I've worked at both the major chains and would love to move out of that arena and into the smaller bookstore field to see what it's like.

Although this may not help my book buying addiction...

I hate having the stress of coming to the realization that I'm not at all interested in doing positions that will pay my bills, but instead are drawn to the weird/interesting/fun jobs that pay very little. I keep getting sucked back into the idea of working at a bookstore because it's totally my comfort zone. If only someone would pay me to act on stage! Well, I'll always keep looking for that opportunity....

Okay, I'm off to go do an impromptu dance performance in my living room to work off this caffeine buzz and hopefully Get Shit Done as well.

Blog ya later,

Lindsay xo

In Search Of A Monologue

2009-09-20T20:58:00.003-04:00

I am determined to find around four monologues to learn for my grad school auditions by the end of this month. I've read through some of the plays already in my possession. Surprisingly, I found that I own quite a few plays that I haven't gotten around to reading...shame on me...and have piled them up on my night stand as a constant reminder to get on with it!

So, in review so far of what I've read are the following plays: Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Pretty, two very good monologues in it but questionable as to whether I should choose anything from this when it's about to be put on in London, Wendy Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others, loved it and really relate well to the monologue I found in it as well, so it's a possibility. Ibsen's A Doll House (a re-read actually, read it first ages ago in college) and The Wild Duck. Neither have monologues in them I'd like to use, though I do enjoy reading Ibsen. Trying to figure out what lesson he wants his reader to learn is half the fun...the other half is constructing feminist arguments in my head against what I think he's trying to say. He'd be an excellent playwright to dissect in the classroom. And last, but so far my favorite, is Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband.

I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray and fell in love with the story line, the prose, the ideas he made surface in my head. For some reason it's quite visual to me when I'm reading his work. I can't believe I haven't read more of his plays or poetry. Just Dorian Gray...and I did that on my own initiative. How can have made it through multiple English and Theatre classes having never read Wilde?? Well that needs to change immediately.

Before the end of the month I've set lofty, unobtainable goals (aren't those just the best?) to read two more Ibsen plays, Hedda Gabler and The Master Builder, as well as multiple Shakespeare plays starting with Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, and Troilus and Cressida. I also have a book of eight tragedies that I need to crack open.

.....ahhh the optimism...so free flowing on a Sunday night after one has just consumed half a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and has moved on the Chamomile tea...things will probably be colored cranky first thing in the morning I predict....

At some point in between the plays and the blogging and the movie watching (Thanks Netflix!) I should probably secure myself a day job as well as find my roommate and I a new apartment. Easy-peasy I'm sure.....right? Right?!? Now where did I put that ice cream.....

xoLindsay

Best. Coffee. Ever.

2009-09-16T09:20:00.004-04:00

I would just like to introduce everyone to the place in D.C. that I'm pretty sure makes the best coffee ever. (Although I'm always up for a taste testing debate when it comes to this topic.)

See I always knew that being too poor to actually do anything would develop good things for me at some point. As I wandered around, too poor to do anything, I stumbled upon this little treasure called Cowgirl Creamery over at 919 F Street NW, just past the Spy Museum and the Smithsonian Art Gallery. Of course I couldn't not go in, what with a name like that and the mere fact that they have cheese (and me being a known cheese whore and all...)

Well this place is so awesome that I didn't even make it to the back portion where they kept the cheese. I was too busy in awe of all the imported foods, beers and wine! I'm afraid to say it, but I'm totally giving away where everyone is getting their gifts from this Christmas.

I got really distracted/excited/would-be-jumping-up-and-down-had-I-already-been-caffeinated-but-wasn't, when I saw that they had imported coffee beans and they grind them up and make you a cup right there.

I picked the one that had the key words I needed to see associated with coffee, dark and "hints of chocolate". Sold. The coffee lady even let me smell the coffee beans before she ground them up and made me a cup with this neat little contraption. Had I possessed a spy camera, I would have taken a picture of this coffee contraption (wow, hey there English degree holder, you're amazing with the words), but I didn't and therefore did not want to pull out my camera then and risk the chance of scaring the coffee lady who was at that moment making my coffee. Priorities people.

Now normally, I'm a little bit o'sugar, little bit o'cream kinda gal, but I took one sip and, miracles upon miracles, it was too good to add anything too it! It's a first for me people.

Best part-I took another sip, swallowed, exhaled....and there were hints of freaking chocolate!!! I feel like such a coffee connoisseur now.

Of course, as a small, teeny tiny side note...this delicious cup cost me $2.20, which is around $0.70-$0.80 more than a Starbucks cup of joe. But when I'd rather have this beautiful cup of deliciousness than have chocolate....well then, poorness be damned! I shall have my coffee!!

Always caffeinated,

Lindsay xx

Celebrities on Stage

2009-09-15T14:14:00.004-04:00

Just read from Actress in the City's blog that Lily Allen is taking a stab at theatre. Now, normally, I think it's kind of great from an audiences prospective to be able to watch a celebrity on the stage. It's always fun to see if they'll surprise you with amazing talent or just end up another gossip rag favorite trying to gain street cred by taking over spots on stage that should have been given to more well deserved players.

In this particular case, and after reading up which play it is she's doing on The Guardian's website I'm a bit devastated actually. Neil LaBute's play Reasons To Be Pretty is one of my favorites and, coincidentally, where I was going to get one of my grad school audition monologues from.

Now I'm not sure that's such a good idea.

I'd love to hear from other actors/people in the arts industry about what their thoughts are on Ms. Allen taking to paid theatrics. Also, should I be doing a monologue for my very important grad school auditions from a play that is currently splashed all over the news? (If not, does anyone have any helpful suggestions of monologues I should do? Now is the time to comment, people...)

Yes, folks...instead of freaking out over where I can get a paycheck, I'm pulling my hair out over Lily Allen and monologues. Hello, priorities.

Where's some large quantities of baked goods when ya need it??

xxLindsay

Up & Coming Domestic Goddess.

2009-09-15T13:31:00.002-04:00

Can I just take a minute to talk about how fabulous I am becoming in the kitchen? I am so proud of my recent recipe creations that I just need to toot my own horn.

Let me just start by saying, I really don't know how to cook at all, so it's a feat of amazing proportions that I am managing to feed myself away from my parents kitchen. Since living in London during my junior year of college, I haven't really had to cook for myself 24/7. Senior year didn't count because I was always busy and either threw together a sandwich or ate at one of the many fast food joints around campus. The staples of my diet then consisted of sandwiches, pasta dishes or rice dishes. And lots and lots of cereal.

And oh, what a long way I've come from those cereal days!

Right now I am trying to eat my lunch as slow as possible because that's how good it is! I read in one of my recipe books (not sure which one) about making a dressing that consists of olive oil, juice from a lemon and crushed garlic. I am all about making my own salad dressing. I haven't had store bought dressing in years. It's just too easy, too healthy and much cheaper to make my own. Trust me on this.

So I made a salad with chopped red onion (I freaking LOVE red onion...will try and include it in just about every dish I make outside of breakfast...and sometimes even then), then made the dressing separately in a small cup. 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (squeezed from one lemon slice was enough), crushed a small piece of garlic and mixed that with the rest of the ingredients. I tossed the salad with the dressing, took a bite to test and see if I'd like it (first time using lemon juice in a dressing)...mmm, good, check....next ingredient added was left over canned tuna (bout 1/2 the can), taste test....check, delicious...then I sprinkled some crumbled feta cheese on top, tossed some more, taste test....and CHECK, freaking amazing!!!

It's like a flavor explosion in my mouth. I luuuuuuvre it!!! I've only got a few bites left and I'm already getting the Awesome Food Blues. Ya know, where you're half way through eating something phenomenal and you get sad cause you know it's going to end soon. Know what I mean? Who's with me on this one??

I got the Awesome Food Blues last night as well, mixed in while a little British Blues because I made a jacket potato for dinner (a baked potato stuffed with your choice of food, very common dish in the U.K.). A Jacket Potato was the first thing I learned to cook on my very own, thanks to my English roommate Laura.

Recipe: Prick the potato in several spots, coat in olive oil and dried rosemary. Microwave for 2 1/2 min, flip, 2 1/2 min on other side. Put in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20-30 min. Take out, cut open, stuff with 1/2 can of tuna (after you've drained the water from the can) and some corn. I know that sounds weird, tuna + corn, but it is amazingly good. And because it was baked with olive oil on it, it's nice and crispy on the outside. I ate the entire thing and then wanted another one, it was that delicious.

Other recipes I've become obsessed with making (just lightly touching on them, if you want more detailed instructions, let me know and I'll provide them in the comment section): Roasted veggies (red onion, tomato and red pepper) mixed with penne pasta, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese. A Morningstar Spicy Black Bean Burger (that's not really spicy, but instead flavorful) with homemade guacamole on it (ohmygod, cue mouth watering now). Whole wheat couscous mixed with roasted veggies and feta cheese. Kidney beans mixed with red onion, tomatoes, olive oil, and red wine vinegar (can be served as is or over pasta).

I hope to learn how to cook meat dishes really well...but for now, I don't want to spend the money on the meat not knowing if I'm going to mess it up or not.

And my lack of meat recipes should also indicate to you that I am constantly craving a burger or steak. Wanna hang out? We'll probably be eating somewhere with meat. Deal with it.

Sincerely (and hungry again now, thanks),

Lindsay xx

First Play Seen in DC--Shakespeare Theatre's Free For All

2009-09-10T14:32:00.003-04:00

Oh the joy that free theatre brings to an unemployed gal living in the big city. There's nothing like it! And it was Shakespeare too, eeek!

The Shakespeare Theatre Company here in D.C. puts on a play every summer as part of their Free For All program, presented by Target this year. This year's play was The Taming of the Shrew and it was done inside the Sidney Harman Hall. I guess in the past they use to do this outside under the stars, which would have been amazing, but they've pulled it inside so as to avoid being rained out. Which really is a great idea, it allows all the performances to be available so everyone can find a chance to come and see.

Friends have told me that last summer they had trouble getting tickets, so I made sure to get their bright and early. I choose to go to a noon performance on a Wednesday and, turns out, that was probably the best decision. Tickets were handed out at 10 A.M. and I was fourth in line starting at 8:45 A.M.

The show was fantastic and so entertaining. I haven't laughed that hard at a Shakespeare performance in awhile (not that I'm able to attend hordes of those these days, anyways...) The audience, filled with people over the age of sixty and high schoolers (helllloooo, it's a noon performance on a weekday, whatdaya expect?), was the best kind, laughs and applause at all the right places, screams and giggles at all the lewd parts....it enhances your experience when the audience is that receptive.

The actors performed beautifully, I always admire the actors that can pull off Shakespeare well, and it is a difficult task. To be able to perform with those words, use your whole body and do it in a way that helps translate the plot to the audience is a gorgeous talent. I never tire of quality Shakespeare performances. My favorite people were Ian Merrill Peakes playing Petruchio (Hi there, cut-upper-body, you may be dressed in a woman's gown, but you's still hot....sigh), Sabrina LeBeauf as Katherina (she pulled that character off sooooo well, she deserved that standing ovation), Louis Butelli as Grumio (I need to see more of his work) and my absolute favorite was Bruce Nelson playing Tranio....that man has comedic prowess under his belt.

I can't stress enough how much of a benefit it is to a Shakespeare play to have full on physical comedy happening. The audience loves it and I think it helps pull you into what's going on with the characters. It just shows you how important it is, for an actor, to be in tune with their body because they can use it in so many ways to bring the story forward for the audience, especially useful with Shakespeare, when a lot of the time people can get lost because of the language. If you had seen this performance, you'll know what I'm talking about, like during the fight between Kate and Petruchio after they first meet.

I was thoroughly impressed with the creative use of lightening and the cash machine (cha-ching) sound effects. Who's the one that comes up with that stuff? The director or the tech people? You gotta respect the work that goes on behind the scenes...I know, I've done it....it takes a lot of creative energy and effort to pull off a great show.

I would love to meet the directors of this show, Rebecca Bayla Taichman (original director) and David Muse (listed as Director, for this show). The Taming of the Shrew is a good example of how Shakespeare's plays can be interpreted in so many different ways. I know my little sister saw a performance of it in London while studying abroad and she said she left feeling depressed and like she just witnessed a woman go through an abusive relationship, one where the husband wins. Where as I left this performance feeling like I witnessed a romantic comedy, full of insights into relationships and how men and women deal with each other. There is a fine line between love story and abuse story when it comes to this play and The Shakespeare Theatre really pulled it off in a great way. I love it when it's performed in this light. I think I need to go back and read it again...and it's moments like these that make me miss college and want to go back asap. Just so I can have like minded individuals, people with my same passion in theatre and the arts, to have a discussion with about plays.

Sigh....eh well...hopefully next year if I can get my freakin' act in gear.

Anywho....yeah for taking advantage of the city and doing it for free!! I'll keep ya'll posted on other such shinanigans that I can get myself into, hopefully for free as well. ;)

Charmed, Linds

Book Reading...For The Unemployed...

2009-09-08T19:33:00.006-04:00

So since I've been in a new city, with no cable mind you (AHHHHHHHH! The horror!!), my reading habits have picked up considerably. Which is good considering I own around 250 books that I've collected over the 5 years I've worked in the book industry and have yet to read. I actually see these books as my babies and have dragged just about all of them, or the amount my family allowed me to drag with me, here to D.C. I get pangs of guilt and pleasure when looking at them because a) I feel so bad about neglecting them and b) I'm still so excited to read them when the time comes.

And apparently the time is now. Welcome to my unemployed reading list!

First of all, I'm 3/4 the way through Bitter Is The New Black by Jen Lancaster. Best book to read if you're a girl and you're unemployed. LOVES IT. She's amazing and makes me feel better that someone as fabulous as her has been through what I'm going through. I can totally relate. It makes you feel better when you know you're not alone, am I right? (Blog world responds with a resounding 'Duh!')

Before Bitter I finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road that I borrowed off of a friend. It's not normally the type of fiction I'm drawn too (see above reading material) but I really wanted to be able to say I've read something that's won a Pulitzer...at least once. (As an English degree holder, I should be ashamed of myself.......am I? Not really....) My official review, it was....interesting. It is a great book to read when you feel all depressed about your life because then you can say "at least I'm not forced to live a life of desolation and loneliness, with only my young child at my side, trying to fend off cannibals from eating him." McCarthy's prose was also very well done. It was an easy read but still made you deal with big issues. Kind of like tricking you by getting you sucked into the story with his little words and easy text. The bastard. And so you can also tell, not really an upper. I think he was trying to leave the reader with a feeling of hopefulness at the thought that man will always survive, no matter the conditions, and the human heart will prevail, good over evil. But still....not an upper people.

Quickly, before I bore you to death, the other books I've recently finished are as follows: Alexander McCall Smith's The Careful Use Of Compliments, Emily Giffin's Love The One You're With, and Stephenie Meyer's The Host. McCall Smith, I love you and everything you write. I can't even adequately review his stuff for you because unless you've read through any of his massive collection of works, you won't understand the love. Truly like a warm bath and a glass of wine after a long, hard day.

Emily Giffin always pulls me in, even if it's on a topic I hate (like cheating spouses or people considering cheating) and she'll make me love it. Anything you write Giffin, I will submit to knowing I don't stand a chance of staying away.

And Stephenie Meyer is officially the Queen of Happy Endings and creating a world of perfect fantasy. Not fantasy like, hey there Star Wars and space jets, but fantasy like, "that is SO not going to happen in the real world, but I melt and hope for it anyways". She is that good, people. Cynics need not apply. This was her most science fiction-y book yet and still I was sucked in. ( I don't normally get excited about that genre...well, actually, I didn't so much Pre-Doctor Who obsession, but Post-Doctor Who obsession I'm beginning to try new things...and I like it!)

After I finish Bitter Is The New Black I will have to up the amount of plays I'll be reading and then shall hopefully write about them here. I'll try not to make the book/play posts too boring...I may even throw in a free glass of wine. Of course whether it be for you or for me is up for debate...

Warmly, DinsyDay

Stress Eats Me For Breakfast.

2009-09-08T19:14:00.003-04:00

Things have been crazy stressful since I got back from my weekend in Ohio. (Which was mad fun, yo. And I learned so much, like red wine should not be drunken in excess of 2 glasses really.) It's only Tuesday, so this does not bode well for the rest of my week.

In good news, I got word on Friday, while in Ohio, that I am officially being offered employment as a part-time house manager at a prominent theatre here in D.C. I'm super duper excited...even if it is part time. I'll get to set up and organize the box office before shows and lectures and poetry readings. I think I'll get to watch them for free as well...I assume. As most of my resume is littered with customer service jobs, I am fully prepared to deal with the audience members. I'm actually jazzed about it. If there's anything I learned from working in a bookstore, it's that doing customer service is so much more fun when the customers like what you like. And if you hadn't guessed already....I heart theatre.

Outside of this good news things are going......eh. I really need a day job and my searches aren't going well. I'm a bit worried about using a temp agency to find work because I'm not sure if I want to commit to a regular work week and do the part time job in the evening and on weekends. When will that leave time for acting?? I want to be able to pay my bills, work at a job or two that doesn't make me want to kill myself and have time to dabble in theatre. Is that too much to ask? Apparently.....

To just add to the stress-pot that is my life, my first grad school audition in NYC is coming up in November. And it's for Central School of Drama in London, a BIG deal theatre school. I don't have anything prepared and it's my goal of September (outside of finding employment) to read some plays, find some good monologues and start getting my act in gear. Yeah fun times.

I don't really feel like I can handle all of this stressful stuff that's going on right now. I've definitely been drinking a bit too much red wine lately as well....not the best of coping methods, eh? I'm going to try and shape up and get myself into a set schedule, starting tomorrow. I want to work out a bit everyday and find time to read (and blog) everyday.

Yeah....we'll see how this goes. Tomorrow I will hopefully be getting a ticket to the FREE showing of Taming of the Shrew put on by The Shakespeare Theatre here in DC. They do a free play every summer I guess. If I do manage to secure a ticket, that's what I'll be blogging about tomorrow. I know you're just shaking with excitement right now, aren't you?

xxoo, Lindsay

P.S. Why yes, I will be watching the premiere of Melrose Place tonight. Don't judge me.

Totally not worth the expense.

2009-09-07T23:16:00.004-04:00

I was trying to be all healthy getting the 100 calorie pack of nuts...completely forgetting that nuts aren't necessarily diet friendly, calorie-wise I mean. Bastards. 100 calories is not what I'd call satisfying.

Just wanted to share this monumental disappointment.

A Weekend Worthy Of Squealing

2009-09-03T08:43:00.005-04:00

So technically I should be getting on the road now, heading towards Ohio for one of my college friends wedding, instead I'm trying to get well and truly caffeinated before I leave...and of course I need to blog about all this cause who know when I'll get the time to get online this weekend.

I have loads that I do want to write about, like the fact that I've been tentatively hired at the place I've had 2 interviews with already. I say tentatively cause I have to pass my background and reference check first. There's no reason I shouldn't pass those, but with my luck I refuse to get too excited until I have my first day and my first paycheck. Also it's only part time and no benefits, but it does involve working in the theatre and it will look fabulous on my resume! Will discuss more about it once the tentatively has been removed.

Can I just say that I can see myself falling in love with D.C. if the weather continues to be as heartbreakingly beautiful as it has been? I'm talking 79 degrees, sunny, small fluffy clouds and a beautiful, light and forgiving breeze. I really could do away with this humidity business that the city has been messing with for the past few weeks. Here's some pictures to show you just how gorgeous it was yesterday as I meandered around the city.

Beeeeeeeauuuutiful!

While I was out and about I experienced the wonderful theatre mecca that is Backstage Books, which is amazing. It's a tiny shop at 545 Eighth Street SE, packed to the brim with costumes for performing arts people and apparently people on the lookout for mad-awesome Halloween costumes. All that and loads of plays. I swear, as soon as I get some money I will be hitting them up for material. Grad school auditions are coming soon and I need some new monologues STAT! Oh...and that topic will be for a whole other post.

Another place that I need to mention, my favorite cafe to kill time. Le Bon Cafe is amazingly cute and they have delicious food! It's only really busy around rush hour times, so it's been a great place to chill mid morning or mid afternoon to read a bit, caffeinate, and read. And for some reason I always seem to be hanging in the neighborhood of the Library of Congress (which is where this gem is located). So yeah...try that. Look at me all helpful.

Hopefully will get to post this weekend but we shall see.

xxLindsay

P.S. Oh and not too excited about reading this little news nugget before heading off for a weekend of hanging with my bestie's from college...meaning drinking too much and taking far too many questionable photos.

Welcome to the 'hood.

2009-08-31T21:02:00.003-04:00

Seen near where I live. Lovely. Something to make me feel nice and safe at night. Well, now I can rest easy at night knowing that not only do my fellow 'hood dwellers have security but they have a sense of humor as well.

"..she experienced that curious feeling, that mixture of elation and dread, that comes from having done something very significant."

2009-08-28T10:17:00.006-04:00

Just so you know, it is so like me to start this blog post with a quote from Alexander McCall Smith's book, The Careful Use of Compliments, which is an Isabel Dalhousie novel. I love that series, it's like getting into a warm bath with a class of wine and knowing some dark chocolate is on it's way.

And that is a feeling I desperately need to focus on right now. I'm about to the point of freaking out on my life. Yeah me. I've been here in D.C. for a month without having secured a job and therefore haven't been able to get around to doing the stuff I really want to do...like say, um, acting? It's fine though, one step at a freakin' time. I did have two interviews with the same place though, and if you follow my twitter feed to the right of your screen, you'd know what that place was ;) Haven't heard back yet, so I'm not really holding my breathe.

A few things that have kept me sane while I refine the art of unemployment:

I have crazy, amazing friends that will take me out for these gob smacking beauties. I don't even remember what they're called, but we got them at this quaint little Chinese food place near the Van Ness Metro stop. The middle part was filled with 151 and lit on fire, so you had to suck that part down quick to make sure the liquor didn't go to waste. Yum! (I was not one of the suckers, mind you)

Finding out my local Safeway does indeed have an international section and includes many of my favorite British food items was quite exciting. I really don't think I'd like to face a world without my PG Tips and my Weetabix. But even bigger news than this, after reading up on a place in The Washingtonian Magazine, I went out and discovered this little shop near the Courthouse Metro stop called "Cigars and British Goods" or something similar to that and they have even more amazing stuff! They've got chocolate covered digestives (not to be found in any grocery store that I've seen) and they carry actual imported Kinder and Cadbury bars.

Little side note for those not in the know...if you find that your local grocery store does indeed carry Cadbury bars, don't get too excited. If you look a little closer at the label, you'll see it's not imported but instead reproduced by Hershey's...and that means using American chocolate. Not to bash American chocolate or anything, but the chocolate in the U.K. is far superiour, my friends, except no imitation.

In addition to these things, I wouldn't have survived this month without help from my parents and my older brother...I really do not deserve them, they are beyond awesome, to a point that words fail to accurately describe. And of course my roommate, Mark, who is so cool to keep me up here and kick my butt out the door to go socialize when I get in one of my anti-social moods. Love him. So in the place of money, these people have kept me here this month. I'm really hoping I can go balls to the wall for them, get my ass in gear, and get a job that won't disappoint. Fingers crossed. (Why is this suddenly feeling like an acceptance speech? Where's my statue?)

Warmly,

P.S. Sorry I haven't been posting...me being too overly dramatic about my life takes precedence over everything else apparently. After a recent conversation with my good friend from home, Rachel, who is also an actress, I've decided I need to try to post more and find ways to write something, somewhere, every day. She said is best when after I told her "I'm just depressed and moody and nothing is going right..." she responded with the antidote "have you written anything lately?" I love having creative friends!

Movie and Books Galore!

2009-08-10T07:50:00.002-04:00

I have officially been here in D.C. for a week. Yeah me! Still no job, but I did manage to apply to one or two places last week. I hate applying for jobs and the whole resume process. I actually like the interview more because it feels more real to me, more like saying "Hi this is me, look how personable I am and how much I can do!" as opposed to someone picking up on that just by reading a pretty list of the places I've worked.

Eh well...what can ya do?

In between applying for jobs and feeling guilty about not applying for enough I've been getting some reading done and been watching a few movies.

Some DVDs that I've seen this week, Feast of Love, Eagle Eye, Charlie Bartlett, Before Sunrise, and Before Sunset. The Sunrise/Sunset DVDs I actually own and adore. If you haven't seen these two movies you need to right away. I love watching the interaction between two people who so desperately feel a connection and are grasping to keep it longer. Even the silences between them are poetic, speak volumes, that's how good they are. Charlie Bartlett was surprisingly entertaining. I really didn't expect much but it was a nice way to escape an hour and a half. Eagle Eye had some awesome action scenes and I love Shia....but the storyline kinda sucked. Really not that interesting. Feast of Love....I'm not even sure what to say about this movie. I was pissed, first of all, that it was not the movie that they advertised for. I cried more times then I care to during a movie night. So much heavier than I anticipated. I think it was made well, excellent storyline...kinda preachy...but OK.

For movies not in the DVD format, I've only been to see Julie and Julia, which was DELIGHTFUL. And yes, I did yell that. I loved it! Perfect movie to see on an extremely hot August night in DC. Very witty and cute. They kept to the book quite well which took me by surprise.

Books I just finished are Emily Giffin's Love the One You're With and Neil LaBute's play Reasons to Be Pretty. Giffin's novel I really enjoyed, which was to be expected. I've really gotten sucked into every novel she's done. She's a very engaging author. Giffin manages to write about topics that I really, really don't enjoy reading about and then makes me enjoy it. I don't think Love the One was as addictive as her other books but I did finish it just as quickly, 2 days tops.

I liked LaBute's play, having never read him before, and I think I'd really like to check out his other stuff too. He really just touched on the whole argument of how important looks are in our society and showed a glimpse of what artificial needs couples have between themselves. I may use one of this monologues but I kind of get the feeling that a lot of other actors probably already have them in their arsenal, as the play actually sets four monologues aside, quite frankly, throughout the play. I do need to find some good monologues to start on if I'm going to be doing grad school auditions coming up in November through to February.

Ah lovely, just another thing to worry about while I'm unemployed. How exciting.

My goal for the week is to take advantage of living in DC and see something that is free every day. For example, today I'll be heading out to the National Portrait Gallery to check out the exhibit Reflections/Refractions: Self Portraiture in the Twentieth Century. Kind of excited as I haven't done anything on the culture side of things in ages.

After that, back to the job hunt. Oh joy. Are you excited? You should be. My updates will be riveting....as you can already tell.

Warmly yours,

Lindsay

Post.Script. Maybe one of these days, I will share some pictures I've taken. I will try and fiddle with that tonight.

The Start of DC Living

2009-08-03T20:13:00.002-04:00

Well I am officially moved into the great city of DC. I'm not use to living on my own so this should be interesting. It's my 2nd day and I've already gotten a parking ticket and due to my roommates lack of cable, I have rediscovered the joys of Buffy on DVD. I've been sucked back into the buffy vortex. Hopefully I will get around to doing some job searching...cause if I don't I'm sure my roommate will kill me when he gets back from Spain at the end of the month due to the lack of rent money on my part ;)

Also, I'd love to do some updates equipped with fabulous photos from my new Coolpix camera I got for my birthday...however, as stated before, I am computer-illiterate and can't figure out how to get the pictures from the camera to the computer.

Maybe some wine will help with the problem...

xoLindsay

Quarter-life...and GO!

2009-07-27T23:54:00.004-04:00

Well here we are then. Right now, as I begin this post, it's about five minutes before I turn 25. I'm sitting here drinking a glass of Black Swan Shiraz Cabernet, wishing I could be hiding under my duvet for the duration of my birthday, maybe have a bit of a cry, watch Bridget Jones (which always cheers me up), possibly have a curry and pass out long before I think too much about what it means to be another year older.

It's not that I'm one of those people that think I'm so old at 25. Oh in front of others I like to whinge on about it, like I'm an old lady, for a laugh, but deep down I know I'm still young. What I'm quite upset about is that I don't feel I've accomplished much and I feel 25 is an age where I should have something about my life figured out. At least I should be moved out of my parents house by now well in my defense I'll be moved out on Saturday and off to adventures of poverty in D.C. (And for the record, living with my parents has been divine. They're 2 of my closest friends actually. They look after me and ignore me when I'm on a dramatic tailspin. They built me a very nice room in my own little apartment attached to our house. And it would all be very nice and perfect if only I could move this house and my entire family with me to a big city. Heaven right there.)

Another upset...I'm about to launch myself off into a huge city with no money, no savings and the scariest part....I have absolutely no idea about the theatre in D.C. Is it good? Easily accessible to people who want to be involved but need to have a 9-5 job in order to pay the bills? I haven't a clue. I, for once, have no connections and haven't heard anything about how the theatre community operates down there. Terrifying I tell you.

For the month of August I'll also have no immediate access to cable or the Internet. I've already decided to suss out a nice coffee shop with Internet just so I can blog...oh and search for a job. Yeah I'll be needing that to support my expensive wine habit. Now that I'm 25 I shall feel free to graduate to slightly more sophisticated brands than my usual two-buck-chuck red wine. Hello Rosemount!....wait...can I afford that?...ummmm, no, definitely not. I'll just stick with Yellowtail, Little Black Dress and Black Swan. Yeah me. I can feel the excitement of adulthood now.

Things that I feel need to be worked on in my 25th year:

1. GRAD SCHOOl for acting. I miss school terribly. There is nothing I love more than sitting with people who are possessed with the same passion and discussing the intricacies of the art form. Beautiful. And it needs to be in England. I miss it terribly and every time I visit, I feel just a bit more sad because I know that I'll never love a city more than I love London or feel as comfortable in any foreign country as much as I do mingling with the British. Does that make sense? No?....blame the wine...

2. French. I took 7 years of it. Can I speak a lick of it? Not really...well I am able to mumble a bit. I can read it a bit better than speaking it. I do feel like quite an idiot not knowing another language. And French has always been the one I've loved. I can watch French films for hours just listening to them speak.

3. Physical activity. I want to be one of those people that just loves exercise, honest I do. But since middle school, and the evil gym teachers that came with it, I've always had a mental block against most physical activity. Whenever I run I always expect someone to pop out at me and yell "faster, faster! there's no walking in gym!" I want to be a master at yoga and know a little bit of martial arts (since I was about 14 I've been a bit obsessed with both...blame it on my Buffy the Vampire Slayer obsession. Buffy did martial arts, Sarah did yoga.)

4. Jesus...this really could go on...let's just end this with boys. I'd like to have a relationship with a guy that's lasted longer than the one I have with my gay best friend. He's lovely but it is sad when you've been engaged to him on Facebook because you really don't want to display your relationship status. Ah well...

Yeah 25! And I've had one friend already text me well wishes...and my sister came running into my room, frightening me, in order to say Happy Birthday at midnight. Quite a nice start I'd say.

xxLindsay

p.s. AND I got my first birthday gift from one of my brothers this weekend, the first two seasons of "The IT Crowd", which I ADORE. (I'd like to be friends with Moss, please and thank you.)

Rant to Myself

2009-07-22T12:15:00.003-04:00

Who gets up at 6:30 in the morning in order to get shit done, downs several cups of coffee, then takes an allergy pill because she pet the cats knowing full well they make her itchy all over and finally passes out at 10:30 AM (!) for 2 hours due to the odd combination of caffeine and an allergy pill?? Oh, that idiot would be me.

I think my body is rebelling against me moving. I need to pack stuff up today to bring it to D.C. tomorrow for Part 1 of the move.

Unfortunately for me, "Fanboys" just arrived from Netflix, it's lunch time, and now that I've awoken from my unusually drugged nap I feel a little drunk from it. Packing will not happen just this moment. Give me 3 hours and a severe guilt trip and then I'll be ready to go.

Rant done.

"This film should be called 'The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola'."

2009-07-20T23:24:00.006-04:00

Okay, I just needed to blog about this. Get ready for it...I have, for the first time ever, ventured into the work of Jean-Luc Godard...hell, I've jumped right into French New Wave Cinema...and let me tell you....WTF?

Well there may have been a few wtf moments, but overall...I really kind of liked a lot of aspects from this particular film, "Masculin Feminin". I mean, I don't entirely get the whole jarring sound bites he plays at random times, even over conversations the characters are having, or the silence moments, or the voice speaking over the black screen with messages...like he was trying to be super deep but it didn't really translate well...BUT...I loved how the camera stayed on certain actors, even when others were speaking to them. It gave you a chance to see the reaction of the actor to the words directed at them. In the extras on the DVD I learned that a lot of those particular moments where something the director did because he was really into making scenes as natural as possible. A lot of the time he'd focus the camera on the actor and using an ear piece that the actor had he would ask them really personal questions that the actors were suppose to respond to as themselves...not as their character. He then took those clips and found a way to blend the character he wanted with the actor's responses.

I love that.

Next will venture onto "Pierrot Le Fou" as suggested by Lea Maria. We shall see how that goes...

Post Script: I just love French movies. And this one was a great peek into French culture/society in the '60s. If you are into French films too then I'd highly recommend the following: L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment) and it's sequel Les Poupees Russes (The Russian Dolls)...and of course can't leave out Amelie...fabulous. Any suggestions? Send them my way ;)

Have a fabulous night, I'm taking my glass of wine to bed with the book Julie & Julia by Julie Powell...because having loads in common with the main character always makes me feel better about myself.

xx Lindsay

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." -Emerson

2009-07-20T22:59:00.004-04:00

Ohhhh changes are a-foot at the moment my friend. I haven't had much time to sit down and blog, though there is much I want to write about. Hopefully some time will clear up in the near future...probably because I'll be in a new city, with no job and not much to do.

I'm moving off to D.C. Quite excited about it. Jumping straight in without looking, of course. That's my usual M.O. Will be living with my old college roommate and having quite a few fun adventures round the city. I will, of course, be documenting all of it...just to keep my 2.5 readers enlightened on my going-ons.

I've already done quite a bit of traveling this month. Bit tired now actually, from it all. Just in the month of July I've been to Pittsburgh, Philly, and Ohio. Before the month is through I'll have been to Ohio again and finally D.C. And I'll be turning 25 next week as well....though let's not talk about that shall we? I plan on cuddling up to a nice Shiraz and crying underneath my bed for a bit that day while the quarter-life crisis is unleashed in me. So that'll be fun. May get my first tattoo just to show up the occasion with a nice memory. Though if I do, it'll be a nice, small, hidden one, cause I'm still into the whole acting thing. (I've been warned, numerous times, against any visible body modification by one of my London friends. Does this mean England may be more strict about that when it comes to choosing their actors for things? Will I have to get rid of my tragus piercing? Never!)

Ahh well. Shall not be thinking much about any of that just yet. Another of my stress tactics is to avoid thinking about anything that may stress me out...I know, I know...I am such an adult, aren't I?

And now I shall leave you with a quote from "Angel's Game" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I would love to sit down with him over a nice meal, maybe a glass of wine, for a nice chat about the creative being....cause I'm a nerd like that.

Enjoy.

"Every work of art is aggressive, Isabella. And every artist's life is a small war or a large one, beginning with oneself and one's limitations. To achieve anything you must first have ambition and then talent, knowledge, and finally opportunity."

Sometimes I Read.

2009-07-08T20:01:00.007-04:00

So sometimes I do get around to reading the massive collection of books that I've obtained from working in bookstores for five years (somewhere in the ballpark of 250-260...ish). Sometimes. And it always sucks just a little to realize I've had, in my possesion, a really awesome book that's just been sitting around collecting dust.

This is not one of those books. Not one of those books in my collection I mean, it's borrowed actually (what can I say, I have a book obsession) and it is an awesome book. You should read it. Really.

As a bookseller, you'd think I'd be better at promoting books to people. I'm not. So don't go and think this will be some crazy, insightful, inspiring review or anything, cause you will be greatly disappointed.

If you haven't read Carlos Ruiz Zafon's other book, Shadow of the Wind, you should get on that one as well. Both books are a kind of Gothic fiction, I'd say, akin to maybe a Wilkie Collins novel. Great mystery, dark twists, lots of depth when it comes to characterization, and just generally a really, freaking good story line. Angel's Game is the prequel to Shadow of the Wind but I don't think it's necessary to read them in that order. Both have the dark story lines, both take place in Barcelona, and both have a book-lover theme entwined into the story line. Does that make sense? Well you don't have to be well read to get the story, anyways. I'm really wishing they had published more of his novels in English.

Well, seriously, go read this, come back, tell me what you think. Cause I need somebody to go all booknerd with me on this one.

Sometimes I am that cool.

Post Script-I will most definitely need to post up some quotes from this book soon. He has some awesome points on creativity that I need to share. And this would be a fantastic book from my bro in Philly. That right there says a lot about the quality of this book cause he hates fiction and will not read it voluntarily most of the time. He's all about needing to "learn something" when he reads. Pfff. Well The Angel's Game has a whole discussion in it about what makes a religion and why people believe in certain faiths. It's cool and sometimes beyond me. I like that occasionally. See, I'm kinda learning something. A bit of a step up from my usual Shopaholics style reading material. ;)

Stress Eater Perhaps?

2009-07-01T10:43:00.003-04:00

This is what happens when I have a dinner break at my part-time job. And my part-time job makes me want to throw books at people's heads. Hello stress-eater, party of one.(Yancey's Fancy Champagne Cheddar cheese, french baguette, and Milky Way Midnight)

In Search Of A New City

2009-06-25T18:52:00.006-04:00

Currently I am in the process of searching for a job in a city that is not in Western New York. I'm sorry WNY...I am done with you. My top choices are New York City, DC, Philly or maybe L.A. Easiest cities to move to in order of cheapness for me at this point are: Philly (can freeload off my brother, possibly have couch for free for maybe a month before we inevitably kill each other), D.C. (can have futon in best friend/former college roommates apartment for half the rent, $600, good location), NYC (only cheap upside-could get rid of car due to love of public transportation), L.A. (not cheap, would have to keep car/live in car, also am afraid of having creativity sucked out by the shallow masses...and quite likely, becoming one of the shallow masses, as I am often prone to their way of thinking anyways).

It's a good thing I'm poor right now which helps limit the places possible for me to move to, because if I did have the money I would just fly my ass straight back to England.

The job search part of moving is killing me though. Oh how I hate the process of re-working my resume. Here's where having a degree in English Lit may, for once, come in handy. My experience in creative writing helps "bookseller" sound like "salesman with wide spectrum of knowledge and fantastic customer service". You may now shoot me.

All I really want is a theatre internship and a waitressing/bar job. I would even go back to being a receptionist if it worked with a theatre schedule.

I would also like a pony. And to date a hot, intelligent, creative, and polite man.

Yeah for a positive attitude....maybe I should just go have another cup of coffee...increase that positive fantasy world I am currently inhabiting.

Dr. Who Obsessed

2009-06-23T10:54:00.005-04:00

Currently I'm working my way through the second season of Doctor Who. A season that was quite expensive to purchase, thanks for that BBC, but I had to get anyways with my 40% off limited time only coupon. My recent unemployment from my day job (still slaving away at the bookstore part time though) has left me with ample time to get obsessed all over again.

Now I know this is technically a show that is not quite geared towards attracting people in their twenties, such as myself, but I can't help it. How can you not love a show that has humor, sci-fi stories that are understandable, and David Tennant? I love him. I really, really hope the new guy is just as expressive. Tennant acts with his entire body. And that makes him hot.

Yes. I'm weird like that.

Hey at least I'm not obsessing over reality tv anymore. Baby steps.

p.s. Just to give you a peak into my British obsession, I'm watching Dr. Who while drinking PG Tips and having Weetabix. I miss England and this is like my comfort routine.

p.p.s. Maybe I should work on getting a life.....hmmm...

Quotes That Validate My Dreams.

2009-06-13T12:19:00.004-04:00

Here's some quotes from Neil LaBute from the preface of his play "Reasons To Be Pretty", which I am currently in the process of reading. (In between all the millions of other books I'm currently reading as well. I really should learn to just focus on one at a time, but where's the fun in that?) I love coming across other people's work, or blogs, that really validate my decision pursue a paycheck in the performing arts field. It's annoying that so many people outside the world of arts are so discouraging of people that want to pursue something artistic. Being all "blah, blah, blah...no money....blah, blah, blah...too competitive." And I'm all I don't care, I don't want to hear it. It will be just as difficult and time consuming for me to try and be an actress as it would if I tried to be something more "sensible" like a librarian or a teacher or an administrative assistant. Expect when I try to work as an actress my soul sings instead of feeling like it's going to be ripped out (like when I work in retail or as a receptionist). So anyways...validation...thank you Mr. LaBute. Rock on.

"The worst day I've had writing is better than the best day I ever had working in a factory..."

and also I feel the same way about acting that he seems to feel about writing:

"We writers stare into a variety of mirrors, studying the faces of people we don't yet know as we make them up, working to create a series of believable psychological profiles for a bunch of folks who don't really exist. I prefer it to life most of the time, as it's much safer and a whole lot easier. These 'people' all seem to be the same as us, unfortunately--my flaws become theirs and their wants and loves grow out of my own, and suddenly I'm surrounded by the same miserable, lovely, lonely, sad, terrific people that I was escaping from in the first place."

Beautiful. I love reading about people who are passionate about their work. If you write a blog, or read a blog, that's all about being passionate about the creative, send it to me. I'd love to spend my free time reading that instead of watching soul-less reality tv. I'm sorry "The Little Couple", you're adorable and cute...but we need to break up. I gots me some plays to read.

And scene. xx

Saturdays are supposed to be lazy days.

2009-06-13T11:40:00.003-04:00

I feel like doing absolutely nothing today. Well...actually I'd love to just fool around on my blog and update with something really creative/random/funny in an awkward way...but then I'd feel guilty about the fact that my room is growing it's own species out of the hair that's collected on my floor and I have dust bunnies so big that my dogs are afraid to go in the room because they don't want to be eaten.

Also exercise is imperative...since I got laid off a few weeks ago (oh yes. and that was so fun.) I have rediscovered the trashy delight that is reality television. I'm surprised at how easily I get sucked into all the new reality shows that are playing now, I thought I held myself to a higher standard than that. But oh how watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey makes me feel better about myself. I started watching Southern Belles on the Soap channel but after a few episodes I couldn't degrade myself any further. That show is just not, in any sense of the word, entertainment. I really should be ashamed of myself for that one.

Kathy Griffin's show: My Life on the D-List, however, I think I can feel good about watching that one. Yes it is another reality show, but I think she puts a lot of effort into making it more entertaining than that. If you think about it...and I do realize that it's summer time now so don't think too hard, she has to put a lot of creative effort into making up the story lines and finding random things to put herself through in order to keep you watching. I mean, she did win two Emmy's for the show. That means it's okay for me to watch it, right? Right?

Okay well, whatever. I'll break up with reality tv someday...soon I hope...I'd really like my soul back now. Oh wait, I forgot, my soul was taken by the part time retail work I do. I need to break up with that, like yesterday. Hey, anyone know any good places to do a paid theatre internship/apprenticeship? Preferably outside of the Western New York area? No? Okay...then I guess I'll just leave you with a super cute photo of two of my dogs doing what I want to do today but can't.

The end. xx

A New Frontier.

2009-06-02T21:37:00.003-04:00

I just want to do a quick post about this now and hopefully I'll get around to doing a longer post about it later. Exciting news...someone is actually giving me some acting work to do. Not paid sadly, but at least I get to do what I love and in a format I've never tried before.

I'm going to be doing a short film that's only about 10 minutes long. A group of local film makers got their scripts picked to put on film. I went to the audition to try out for one of those films and while I was there I tried out for another one that I fit the description of and that's the one I got picked for.

I was happy just to do the audition because I've only ever auditioned for theatre stuff and this was my first one for something on film. It was actually a lot more fun than a lot of the theatre auditions I've done. It was a very relaxed atmosphere where I got to meet the directors of the two pieces, the guy doing the filming and the guy leading the audition. Overall, it appears that a lot more people are involved in this process than with theatre auditions.

I was given a few minutes to look over the "sides" (just short selections from the scripts), then I had to sign a sheet that stated I understood I wouldn't be getting compensation for this project but I would get a copy of the film on DVD. Which I can only assume is because then I can use it for when I want to show some work I've done (yippee! hello grad school applications...)

All I had to do for the actual audition was look into the camera when they said go, state my name and my phone number where I could be reached and then read through the lines. I had a guy off to the side that read the roles opposite me as well, which was useful. It was fun doing this audition because for the first piece I did, the director gave me some suggestions for how he wanted it done differently a second time around, and I'm pretty comfortable with this kind of comment/change/redo style of auditioning because it's what I always do with theatre. You just do it over and over again, sometimes with different people, so the director/s can see if you'd fit in the role. But for the first piece I only had to do it twice and then the second piece I only did it once and I was done. Amazingly quick...I guess they can be that way when they've just filmed it and can then re-watch it as much as they want.

I really enjoyed the whole audition, wasn't sure how well I did because...well...I've never done film before, but was really happy when I got cast in the second piece. It should be fun and quite a learning experience. I'll blog more about it as we get into rehearsals (only 2 or 3 before actual filming commences). I'm quite glad I'm not getting paid for it though, as I've never done something like this I don't want to completely mess it up, so it relieves the pressure a bit when a paycheck isn't involved.

Finding Art Everywhere

2009-06-02T21:21:00.006-04:00

I truly believe you can find art just about anywhere. On a recent trip to Letchworth State Park here in good 'ol Western New York my friend Jen and I found some beautiful art...and some quirky art (hey, I still think it's very artistic anyways). This was on one of, what I hope to be many, trips to find entertainment that's cheap in and around the Rochester area. Hopefully, we'll experience more things that were as much fun as this trip but that don't require getting up before 6 A.M. to see. Thanks for that Jen....and now onto the photos!! Enjoy.

Oh my.

Yes. If you lived by the river you would need a shower and some food.

A tragic piece of art that really represents our time and what we're going through. Deep.

Art representing hope? Ain't it beautiful.

Wine Soaked Review: Complete Works of Shakespeare Reduced

2009-05-26T13:54:00.004-04:00

The following was written after several glasses of red wine but I am far too lazy to re-work it in anyway :) Enjoy!

Complete Works of Shakespeare Reduced: As seen on DVD, courtesy of Netflix.

The whole reason I started a blog, though so far this hasn't been obvious, is to write about plays or creative experiences that really drive me, inspire me and make me fully appreciate why I am in love with the arts, theatre in particular.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company DVD has motivated me to write as I originally intended, about beautiful, artistic pieces of art. I loved this DVD. How can I not love something where someone just throws their whole being into a performance? It's a beautiful thing, my dears.

In case you're unaware of this show, it's a live action theatre show that they recorded onto DVD for your viewing pleasure. And thank God they did, so you know you can go rent it and be entertained...okay...go rent now...go ahead, I'll wait.

An hour and a half show of all Shakespeare's works condensed down is the basis. I can tell straight off the bat that improv skills are very much needed in the performance as there is much audience interaction involved.

I place a very high value on improv skills. I took a class on it once, cherished the experience really, because it showed me just how difficult it can be when working with a live audience. I think everyone should take an improv class because it really helps you think on your feet, a necessity in life really that I only discovered when in my late teens (before that I lived in a very protected fantasy world. When hurt or affected by others I escaped there instead of dealing with life in front of me. Who knew I was such an actress in the making*).

Watching this particular performance really helped me admire the physicality that went into every aspect of the performance. I once saw a production of Midsummer Night's Dream put on at SUNY Brockport and was blown away by the same physicality of the character Helena. the actress who played her was fit enough to run around stage, jumping and hanging onto Demetrius. I think because the actress and other actors were so able to perform the role using their whole body it just drew the audience into the story and made understanding Shakespeare that much easier. It just sucked you in, just like in "Reduced Shakespeare".

This is something I want to work on as an actress. Fine tuning my body so its at a place where I'm comfortable throwing the physicality of a character around. It's a beautiful thing.

Wow. I think I just outed myself as a major theatre nerd. But don't judge me too harshly on this. Sometime I read very long books and I own some nice shoes, too.

Nerd out---- xx.

*Though that is not to say that acting involves only fantasy life and a hearty disregard for the real. Oh no, I truly believe that both real life and fantasy life need to balance out in a performance on stage. Make sense? No?... Okay, never mind....

P.S. If you watch this, I totally cried when they were using the audience to explain the inner turmoil and the complexity that is Ophelia. Could have been the wine....yeah, we'll just say it was the wine....

"This little piggy went to the market..."

2009-05-17T10:47:00.018-04:00

So it is my mission in life...well current mission...to find fun things to do in Rochester while I live here. I am not the biggest fan of Western New York because I am most definitely a big city girl and Rochester just isn't big city enough for me. One of the entertaining things I've found to do is visit the Rochester Public Market on Saturday mornings. It's a fabulous place to people watch, buy cheap stuff (food, clothing, Prada knock-offs), and I'm pretty sure calories don't count here.

Of the many delicious food items I scarf down, some of them include empanadas from the Empanada Stop and cheap/delicious steak tacos from that taco place that's there....does it even have a name? I'm not sure, but there's only one, so if you go to the market I'm sure you'll find it all on your own.

During the spring/summer season there are flower days at the market and almost half the stalls are people selling off all these beautiful flowers. I won't really know what to do with flowers so I just pass by and say "ohhh...ahhhh", nod appreciatively when necessary, and snap photos to share on my blog....as ya do.

Also a plus, all the shady dealers come out to sell their designer knock-off bags/glasses/wallets. Now I'm not usually a supporter of people that make money off stealing other peoples designs and good name, but hey, we're in a recession people.....and quite frankly as long as the product is pretty and makes me look good, I could care less what name is on the side.

When not in the mood to buy things....although I'm always in the mood, so really, when I don't have the money to buy things I always love to check out the variety of things sold at the different stalls. There's a honey stall that I always love to sample from,

the fish stall that I would never sample from

and the pig stall that, thanks to an Anthony Bourdain obsession, I always have to pass by and wonder if maybe today's the day I'll buy that pig head and figure out how to cook it. This is an inclination that my family and friends do not share with me, weird huh?

First step: Admitting You Have A Problem

2009-05-08T13:44:00.002-04:00

Problem: I love geeky, sci-fi movies.

There I said it...whew...what a relief. I just want you to know that was very hard for me. I've never been part of the sci-fi group of people, into all those aliens and creatures from outer space story lines. But man-oh-man, the past year or so I have really been getting into the genre.

I am getting in deep now, kids. I went to the opening night of Star Trek. We had to see the first showing of it in digital because we are just that cool. I was looking forward to snapping some shots of people in costumes to share with you today, but alas, only one person showed up in costume and it was co-worker of mine. She was geeking it out as well by attending the opening in digital.

Can I just say...even though I am by no means a Trekkie...it was a damn fine film. Very entertaining, great action scenes, a lot more funny than I anticipated and the actors...oh the actors...they were pretty, weren't they? I just loved Spock! And I truly respect whoever wrote this script because they made the hot chick in love with the nerdy/smart guy (Spock) instead of falling for the hot guy who acts like a jerk when hitting on her. Loved it!

I really think that if I had to be in any genre of movie, I really would need to choose sci-fi (slash comedy). They must have so much fun making those films.

Outside of watching popular sci-fi summer blockbusters....I do have to admit to you that I am a Whovian. I love Doctor Who. I have no idea why. Seriously, no idea.....well...okay...it might be because of David Tennent. I mean, you can't watch that show and not love him just a little.

My love of DW might also have a little bit to do with my ever obsessive love with anything and everything British. I've been "homesick" for England the past few years after I studied abroad in London...lame I know...I just can't seem to shake my intense interest in all things English.

About a year or two ago, BBC America started playing episodes of Doctor Who and since I watched everything on that station I got hooked pretty quick. I tend pick up on shows/books/any form of entertainment really that has a dorky sense of humor. While some people role their eyes at the one liners thinking "did he really just say that and expect me to find it funny" I am rolling on the floor, trying not to pee my pants. Really...it does not take much. As you can tell, I am a very mature person. Though don't say poop out loud or I'm done for....

....well......ahem....now that we've had that lovely TMI moment, I hope you still respect me in the morning.

Live long and prosper. I'm out. xx

Tuesday Pick-Me-Up Tactics

2009-05-05T15:01:00.004-04:00

Another pick-me-up tactic is the regular Tuesday night visit to Uno's for beer and brushetta. A.maz.ing. Hey a girl gets stressed sitting at a desk all day. Then on Tuesday's, this girl has to march off to her once a week job at the bookstore to deal with customers who say stupid things like "Do you have the book I'm looking for? It's blue and it's about a girl."

After closing down the place, off the workers go to find cheap beer and snacks. And you can't beat the $1.99 and $2.99 priced snack food on their bar menu. Wow...I just had a poor-working-girl moment....

Makes a girl reminisce about college actually....

muah. xx