Snowboarding and Halloween

Oh, man you guys I LOVE Halloween!  There's no real reason.  I don't ever do much for the holiday and tonight's really no different.  I've got a show tonight, "Are You There God?  It's Me, Satan." (Gorilla Tango Theatre, $12, 10pm) so I probably won't dress up or go out or do anything that cool.  I don't have the money to go out drinking.  I don't have a house to pass out candy from.  I might just come home and watch the Emily Rose movie I have, or maybe Saw.  I wish I had the movie Rosemary's Baby, because it's been a while and I sort of like that movie as a creepy classic.  Regardless, the point of what ended up being an unintentional pity rant was that I'm simply not doing much, but I still LOVE Halloween.  Maybe it's getting the opportunity to watch grown adults behave like children for a night, or that a lot of children try and behave like grown adults.  Maybe it's that pavlovian instinct of "This is the holiday where I get candy" when really, I probably won't get much candy this year.  Well, until Monday when the care package my grandma sent me gets here.  She called me this morning to let me know it was coming, that adorable woman.  Today I'm probably going to go running again (even though my legs are sore as HELL from two days ago when I ran 2.9 miles (that's right, farther than ever in the city) and then came home and did the floorwork portion of this excersize video I have...holy Shit!) or maybe I will watch movies ALL DAY until I have to go do the show tonight.  Who knows?!  What I DO know is that I'm super pumped about this winter because I found other snowbunnies in my improv class and they also snowboard!!!  I haven't been the last couple of years because of random "I don't have money" or "I don't have anyone to go with" or "I don't have a proper vehicle" but now I will at least have people to go with and a vehicle to get me there.  Money will be tough, but I want to go at least once or twice this year.  Every time I think about it I get super excited because I like doing it so much and I have a board and brand new boots and bindings so I really had better get my ass out into the snow this winter.  Sheesh, I sure have been swearing a lot this blog.  Sorry, team.  Well, I hope you all have a splendid Halloween, try not to get slaughtered violently by anyone in a mask and I'll see you on Monday!  Be Safe, Be Smart, And have a great weekend!  Thanks for reading ~~~~  Lisa

don't let The Man get you down

It's Thursday.  I had an interview this morning with the Container Store.  They make that place seem like the best fucking place to work EVER.  They keep talking about people that just came on to do temporary stuff and then never leave and how they hardly have any turnover rate at all because everyone loves it so much and how they have a whole bunch of people on staff but they only are going to take about 9% of the people they're interviewing right now and I don't know.  I just know that if I get hired there, I'm going to take it.  Seems awesome, it's just a bunch of organizational stuff.  Hell, who knows, maybe I'll find my secret career there.  They are all about letting me be who I am at work and they were like, "We're not afraid of the word sell because for us, it's the same as the word help.  We work in organization!"  and the thing about it is, in any other retail store that would sound skeezy, but in the Container store, they're right.  They have great benefits for part-timers, in fact they said in that huge store with over 100 people employed, they only have about 16 full timers.  I don't know how they did it, but they got me all jazzed up about crap.  I start at the museum on Monday, which I'm ever so excited about.  It's about time.  I calculated it out, and if I get fired from Vicky-S for not sticking to the availability I put down when I got hired, I'll still have enough money to make it if I'm working as many hours as I want to at the museum (being 30 hours a week) because that's still part time.  So now it's just juggling everything.  I found my dream planner, too.  Oh...planners.  I get a hard-on for planners.  The one planner I stuck to really well I just lost about a month ago and it's driving me bonkers.  So my dream planner is from a website called starthereny.com which a friend of mine introduced me too since that's where she got her planner from.  I was looking at hers and I freaking love it.  It's the perfect size and has both monthly and weekly planning junk in it.  That's all I ask and you'd be surprised at how many planners do NOT have those things.  It's stupid.  So.  I think things are right on track again....well, for the most part.  I'm still super nervous about getting my money shit together but it will all work out eventually.  It may take some time, but I'm actively trying to get it done which means this frustration only stems from a helplessness that I feel about now being able to control my income at this point.  Damn.  Thanks for reading!!!  Hope you have a great rest of your Thursday, I know I will!

~~~~Lisa

Technicolor mind bubbles of spewy goodness

I'm living in a little slice of bliss right now.  Sipping on Dunkin' Donuts coffee, morning sun pouring through the three corner windows into my welcoming living room in Chicago, the street below abuzz with commuters and I'm warm inside in my pjs listening to the Current, and I'm writing.  Today's going well so far.  I just need to keep my mind off money and money off my mind and I'll be ok.  I want to take a sentence and thank those of you who have been endlessly supportive and positive when I've been very negative.....thank you so much, you have helped me shorten the time that I am stuck in an attitude that I don't want to be in.  I'm getting geared up for NaNoWriMo, I'm getting a little nervous about it, ten pages or so a day, but it'll be fun and I can do it I think.  It'll at least jumpstart me into writing all the time like I want to.  Blogwriting has helped me get used to putting words somewhere daily, which is great, but now I'm going to be putting together a comprehensive story.  I don't know how good I am at telling a story on paper.  I know I'm not very good at it when I'm talking to people.  I often am just inspired by something they've said to tell a story that usually has no point and then we share an awkward silence at the end of my story, until they struggle to pick something out of what I've said that will continue conversation.  I'm, of course, left to bang my head against the imaginary wall in front of me and say "goddammit, goddammit, goddammit".  You'd think as an improviser I'd be good at being consise with my language and when talking to people, but it seems to be just the opposite.  I have this problem of, well, it's not even diarrhea of the mouth as much as vomit of the mind.  I just end up spewing forth all the swelled thoughts that connect themselves to whatever we're talking about.  I like to think it's part of my charm but I'm sure it just gets annoying a lot of the time and frankly it's something I'm working on.  I have class and rehearsal tonight, getting some new sketches from the writers this evening for the show that goes up at the end of November.  I am rather impatiently waiting for my headshots to get back to me.  I'm so excited, I can't help it!  I hope you're having a great Wednesday already, I know I plan on it!  Thank you for reading what I've written!~~~~Lisa

A Confession

It's been over a month since my last full work day.  It's not for a lack of trying, work-father.  Chicago is just.....big and hard.  On my days off?  Well, I'm online a lot.  I know, internet can be a deadly sin even to those who are working but it's become a comfort.  Let it go?  Are you crazy?!  Maybe I'll try to cut back, but can't just go cold turkey, facebook is the smoke-break for those who are unemployed ok?  So I've got a few temp agencies and now I've finally got two jobs!  That's right, two jobs.  How do I explain why I'm not at work right now?  They haven't given me a start date, yet work-father.  If you could talk to them-   well I HAVE called them.  Yes, every day for the last week or so.  I realize it's rocky on the economical battlefield right now, I'm sorry.  That doesn't take back the embarrassing episode last night in the grociery store when I got misty eyed when the man ringing up my grocieries used a special card to cut my grociery price in half so I could afford some oatmeal and soup.  No no no, I'm not whining, I'm sorry.  I've done enough of that with my time off.  No, I've seen some museums and parks around the city.  I've familiarized myself with the city enough to help others find where they're going as well.  I've read a couple of books.  I've written countless letters.  Heck, I even got into a couple of shows to fill my evenings!  But those don't pay the bills, in fact, they don't pay at all.  I'm ready for something new, and I guess I'll just hope and pray that you give me something by Thursday.  And I do want to thank you for the paycheck you unexpectedly sent in the mail yesterday.  I very much needed it.

Lisa

Pretty fun weekend

I got to babysit a cute baby, I had a final dress rehearsal for one show, went to a party where I met some people, had a first rehearsal for another show, a class at IO, and went to see shows on Sunday night, overall it was a pretty fun weekend, nice and busy, just the way I like it.  Though I'm not working NEARLY as much as I'd like to, I am enjoying having the free time to do whatever the fuck I want to with, which means I can go to whatever shows I please.  Awesome.  

I'm getting pumped about NaNoWriMo, though I'm not nearly as researched yet as I'd like to be.  I need to do some looking about robot creation and the industrial revolution and I should be a-ok.  I get so excited about parties sometimes but when I'm there, there are usually periods of time where I really do just want to sit on the wall and watch people.  Especially at parties where I hardly know anyone.  I found the perfect halloween costume to do just that, I dressed up in a big sweatshirt and jeans and went as a rapist.  Though most might find this offensive, I figured it would go over well at an improv party and I was right.  I walked into the IO last night and three people walked up to me and said, "Hey, I saw you at the party on Saturday, you were the rapist, right?"  or "Hey, look, it's my favorite rapist!"  so, I'm thinking that is going to do wonders for my social life here in Chicago (for better or worse, only time will tell).  My favorite costumes of the night:  Hunter S. Thompson, Gallagher, Batman, Spirit, Little red riding hoodrat, Mac and PC; and I think those were the most memorable for me at the party, I'm sure there were more great ones, but those were the ones I remember here on Monday morning, sorry guys.  I hope you all have a splendid start to your week!  Appreciate you takin' the time!

~~~Lis

The saddest love story

There was a man named Maurice.  There was a woman named Shante.  They loved each other very much, and in so many ways.  Maurice didn't have much money, but he loved that woman so good that he would take her out to fancy restaurants on his last pennies.  He didn't have a job, but he was makin his bread.  Shante loved him, but she didn't quite feel like it was time for them to get married until Maurice could get on his feet.  Then Shante was noticed by a mutual friend of theirs, Bennie.  Bennie wasn't the best looking or the most romantic of gentlemen, but had money.  Bennie owned two Popeyes Chicken Shacks on the south side of Chicago and he didn't know how or when, be he was gonna get him that girl because little did Maurice know, Bennie loved Shante, too.  Maurice again was down to his last dime and took Shante out to a nice romantic picnic on the river and he pulled out the $50 ring he bought her at Kmart and he said, "Shante, hows about you and me get married?"  and he gave her that charming cocky grin of his, and she looked at him and laughed.  "Mo-rice!" She said through laughter, "I ain't gonna marry you.  Not till you get yourself a real job and we can settle down a bit, you know?  Oh, baby." The next night, Shante stood Maurice up on their date.  Turns out, Shante had been wooed by Bennie and not two months later, Bennie brought Shante to a fine restaurant, and said, "Baby, I have something I want to show you..." he took her to the south side of Chicago and opened the car door and when Shante stepped out she saw the Popeyes with a ribbon around the door and Bennie said, "This' all for you, baby, will you marry me?"  And now they're living in some suburb somewhere, but that's good for 'em ya know?  I was happy she is taken care of, Bennie is good to her, she's got a good man.  Me, I drive the bus.  That's what I got.  I like it.    ~~~~  I tried to tell that story as closely to the way the busdriver told it as I could.  He was a riot and he was in very very good spirits about the whole thing.  I really want something to go really right for him because his good mood made my day.

Thanks for reading!

Lisa

Really, it's me venting job frustrations....again. You may want to skip this and come back tomorrw.

I'm still nervous about jobs and crap today.  I haven't heard back from the museum and Victoria's Secret doesn't really care.  I don't think.  I also lost my funding on my metro card so I'm not sure how I'm getting around yet.  I don't have a bike helmet, but my bike may have to do until I can afford either a helmet or the metro card for another month.  Still no money on the money front.  Looks like another day of running ahead of me.  Then watching a new episode of pushing daisies.  Then maybe another three hour nap?  Then go see a show toinght.  Check THIS out to see a recently discovered dinosaur species.  It looks like something right out of a science fiction book.  Bizarro, right?  How can that shit have four bird claws?  Weird.  I think the most frustrating part about not having a job is that I'm trying.  It's not for lack of trying.  I've been going from business to business trying to find a job, and no one's hiring or they're hiring friends of friends (who you know) so it's not like I'm just sitting on my ass all day not wanting a job.  I want one.  Oh, god I want one, it would make me feel better just knowing that I'm actually DOING something about my pile of overdue bills even if I couldn't pay them for the next MONTH at least I know that I'm DOING something about it.  Gah!  Frustrating!  I'm only six weeks in and I feel a little like I'm drowning.  Ok.  That's enough.  I also keep going back and forth from extreme anxiety to deep breaths and calm down and you can't do anything about it so shut the fuck up mode.  As far as acting goes, I'm fine.  I'm doing a show, possible show right after that, classes are great (if I can get them to let me work off the classes) and I get to see a bunch of free theatre with my student passes.  If the fun things in my life could pay the bills, I'd be living in one of those high rise condos with a view of the lake.  Thanks for reading my blog, you guys ~~~Lisa

Improv: Art or Craft?

I saw The Reckoning last night.  They're so good.  They just are.  It's the way they identify a theme without it seeming forced and they just play the shit out of every aspect of that theme they can think of.  They don't plan out the scenes in their head, it's obvious, they just play the character in each situation.  These are hard things for me to do.  Sometimes, NOTHING happens in their scenes, but the characters are engaging enough that it's fantastic!  Example; 2 women talking very snobbishly about "the people down there" refferring to the peasants below.  One woman obviously does not know a whole lot about them and is asking questions.  The other woman, who seems to know more about them just talks about them as though they were highly developed ants.  The whole scene was just this game of 'What is that woman going to say NEXT?!  She's so mean...'  There were a couple of moments that could have been construed as disconnect, but because these players have on their game hats, everything is accepted, they never "call out" the other people, it's all within the piece.  It's obvious that the IO is artsy.  Everything is a Piece meant to show the audience something, meant to make them think in a new way, which is in no way a bad thing, and yes, the groups that have been stellar have made me think about some theme in a new way or about a situation differently, but I haven't decided yet for myself if I think improv is an ART.  

            The way Gellman is teaching us at Second City is that it's a CRAFT.  It's a way for actors to experiment with character that has turned into a way to play together.  It can be honed and taught.  Art is created with a vision in mind.  Improv is a skill.  Don't read into it so much, folks.  He says that's why there are unions for it.  Being that acting and improv are essentially the same thing.  Improvisers are actors, if they're not, then they're no good and it's obvious.

            I haven't decided for myself yet.  I realize as I'm writing it, this would be a far more interesting blog if I could definitively state for myself "I BELIEVE XYZ..." but I can't just yet.  Maybe it's the difference between the skill portion and the, ahem, magic (?) that steps improv up to the level of greatness.  Some brain function that skips and frolics from one lobe to the next, allowing humans to suspend reality if only for 15 minutes and pretend within the realm of fact and then beyond into a world of unimaginables.  Either way, I like it.  I'm still enjoying it.  

Thanks for reading

Lis

Tuesday is a funday

I had to lengthen my run today which felt pretty great!  Added a couple blocks, putting my run closer to three miles.  It's getting colder outside, and I should probably take the air conditioning out of my window.  It's becoming increasingly more difficult to crawl out from underneath my nice warm down comforter into the sharp stabbing cold air of my room.  I worry about dropping the appliance onto someone below my window.   I'm sure I won't but what if I did?  Or what if I just dropped it NOT on someone?  I can't afford another air conditioner.  I'll try it soon.  Maybe not today.  But soon.

I start at Vicky-S tonight.  Bra and Panty city.  I'm pretty excited.  Then after that I am going to see some improv at the IO.  Yay for being forced to hang out with classmates, because that means friends.  And I like hanging out with people sometimes.  I don't have much for you today.  I'm trying to get used to writing on blogger here.  I don't think I like it, which is too bad, but I'll get used to it.

Thank you for reading!!!

Lisa

boo.

My mac.com free trial pooped out.  I'm stuck with this until I can figure out the money to get the site up and running again.  Thanks for being patient with me, guys.

Lis