Ah, the carpetbaggers. The locusts who descended upon the destitute South to make a profit while there was still money to be squeezed. It's nice to know that still exists.
Go figure that those with more money than they can manage, at an interest rate sky high in point 3 font, would find a way to benifit even from Habitat for Humanity.
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vanilla almond granola
Combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla in food processor. Add egg. Add cinnamon, baking soda, salt. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Add granola. (The recipe originally called for chopped nuts, but adding the granola tastes great and is a wonderful way to get rid of the small bits of granola after you've eaten all of the good chunks) Chill for up to 24 hours. Roll out on lightly floured cutting board. Heat oven to 375. Cook until golden brown on lightly greased cookie sheet.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
I'm watching the Monk Marathon today as inspiration to clean during the commercials. So far I have a clean living room and kitchen, clean dishes in the dishwasher, and fresh baked brown sugar granola cookies for Flogamockers this evening.
Next week, if we don't flag over Psalm 119 (all 127 verses or whatever), we'll be DONE WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT. It's taken us a little over a year but we read the WHOLE OLD TESTAMENT. OUT LOUD. With voices, hand gestures (wave offering), and much sloughin over the names (Sherubabababal), and group sayings (THUH priest!), the occasional themed party, and whatever else it took to keep us engaged. I'm hoping Jesus doesn't plan on coming back in the next week, because I would lack closure.
The tree is up (only one, though) and the garland at the folks' house. It was a slow year for additional Kunzepalooza-ers. Only Bean came over. Denise is in the doghouse.
And I'm off tomorrow after other Bible study to finish filming the music video. Pray much and wish me luck. There was over a foot of snow on the pass last night.
We were recounting stories after dinner, and here's one of mine from my days off in Seattle
I've never been in a locker room. As an adult. As a kid I remember walking around the athletic club or the YMCA and seeing saggy middle aged women walking around naked. At Baylor, I'm sure there was a locker room, but my dorm was nearby, so I dressed there and went over the to equipment room. I'm not a modest person after years in the theater, but the last time I was really naked in 'public' was when Crissie and I went skinny dipping in my grandparent's pool on our senior trip.
The Logsdons gave me a weeks free pass to their Athletic Club. I did two yoga classes and worked out on the elliptical machines one morning. And there, in the locker rooms, were more naked women. Walking around. Talking to each other. Drying their hair. Toweling off. And after spending time trying NOT to look, I noticed something. These are all women much older than me, all of which have clearly had children at some point.
So one night Becky and Miles took me along to a swim class. Aha. A bathing suit moment. So I slunk over to my locker and changed quickly into the bathing suit Becky lent me. I did it. I was naked in front of people.
So, I got into the pool. I did five laps, and decided that I had enough water up my nose to last a while, and got back out. I decided, since I had time to kill, and Miles and Becky would be swimming for a while, it was my time to be brave. I went back to my locker, disposed of my suit, wrapped my towel around, and headed for the group showers. And I saw myself in the mirror. And I saw the other ladies. And I realized something. I have the best body in this room. So I hung up the towel, and walked into the group shower. I was alone. All that bravery for nothing. But after I'd shampooed, I turned around and the room was full of women. Showering. Talking about their kids, their instructors, and the errands they needed to run.
Flush with success, I decided to go try the steam room. I've watched Sex and the City enough to be intrigued. This was a cedar hot room with a little rock bucket to make steam. I took in my Interview with a Vampire to kill time. I spread out my towel, and streched out on the cedar planks. Nice. Then a lady walked in. AND STARTED TALKING TO ME. I was naked. She was naked. It seemed like an odd time for a chat. But we did. About the temperature of the room, and how much she wanted one of these things at home. And other inconsequential matters. And after a few more minutes, I was warm enough. I braved the showers a second time, and got dressed.
But for a few minutes I was reveling in it.
We spent all day yesterday cooking for an early dinner today. Tomorrow is Kunzepalooza!
I pulled in from Portland last night at about 6:30. I was down there to shoot a movie called Minute Zero. Which actually didn't get shot. My co-actor had to go to the hospital and get stitches, so the shoot got moved to next weekend. Perhaps now would be a good time to let the director know that I'm coming in from out of town...I'm still very interested in the project, and happy to have another week with the character before filming. I was inspired by Emma Thompson's performance in Stranger than Fiction. Time to come up with some creative gestures and character quirks.
Tonight after Bible Study I'm driving to Seattle to shoot a student music video on Capitol Hill. The shoot runs from 12-6am at a bar...I'll be an extra. Then I'm crashing at Miles and Becky's before trying to drive home. So far I'm not getting paid, but I'm glad to have the experience.
I'm off now to the store to buy frosting and liverwurst for a bridal shower I'm organizing tonight. And I've got to clean my house and do some laundry before I leave town again, and again this weekend!
Oh, and I talked to Steve two days in a row. Last night he sent me his latest paper, which got him invited to speak at a national conference in February...I critiqued it for him, in typical tongue in cheek fashion. The night before he'd called because I text messaged him about my shoot. Tasha walked in from seeing a show an hour later, right in the middle of a conversation about the importance of context to the meaning of any text, and how the classical Greek philosophers mistrusted the written word (as opposed to oral tradition) because it opened the text up to misinterpretation. I got off the phone soon thereafter, because it was very late....and Tasha was laughing at us. Ah well. It's really nice to be able to talk my head off with someone about Literature and not have him glaze over!
I woke up this morning at 4am, and left for an audition in Vancouver, BC at 10:15. Which was great, except that I had no time to go to Tim Horton's on my way out. Because I had another audition in Seattle at 2. I did manage to stop for Austin at the Beer2go place and grab some honey brown beer.
Movie auditions are a whole different animal. My total audition time for both was under 15 minutes. And I'd imagine I drove 7 hours today. And bought two tanks of gas, one double latte, 9 chicken strips, and one vanilla milkshake. I'll know in the next three days if I've got any of the parts I auditioned for -- and all three possible films will be finished shooting before the 1st of December which was my hope - so it doesn't conflict with my supposed move.
One of the auditions is for a music video, set to Modest Mouse, and taking place in a bar. Funny, they mentioned as extras they need waitress/bartender types. I told them I've done both. Most actors are waitresses by default, but rarely is a person an actor BECAUSE they've waitressed.
So, I was offered a role in a movie, and since they'll let me not swear, I'm going to go down to Portland this weekend. How cool is that?
Wow. You'd think that being unemployed I'd be, I don't know, resting or something. Instead, life has unfolded unexpectedly for the past few weeks, and "the whole house is in uproar!" My sister is attached to my hip until her grades come up, so less out-of-doors-ing for me. (You would think, as a consequence, that my house would be clean, but no. Both it and my car are steadily getting worse)
Today (I'll preface all this by saying that he apologized) I had another go around with the band leader at church. I like him, but find him difficult to work with because he changes his mind constantly. I hate having my time (oh Lewis would jump all over the notion of "my time")wasted in every way (start late, run an inefficient rehearsal, then run over as a result -- I find that incredibly frustrating). I often find it difficult NOT to have a poor attitude. For example, today I was told to "take ownership of my keyboard" when the sound wasn't working. I'd pushed, pulled and jiggled every chord. The tech guy did the same thing I'd done, then ran back to check the equiptment. As soon as he emerged in the balcony I started playing so he could check the system, and the same director reached over and TURNED MY SOUND OFF because I was INTERRUPTING HIS CONVERSATION. I told him afterwards, "You know, I wasn't playing for my own amusement." He wanted to talk to me after church. I was afraid I was walking into a chewing out, but he apologized. And I had a chance to explain my frustrations. I'm hoping things will be better in the future.
Flogamockers was tonight. We're meandering around Daniel, Ezra, and Psalms. Soon we'll be in Nehemiah and Esther.
I have an audition in Vancouver, BC on Tuesday for a student film (assuming once I see the script that I want to be a part of it) and another audition for an extra in a music video later the same day. I have one part that's been offered me in a short film shooting in Portland this weekend (they had an actress quit last minute due to family problems and need a replacement). I'm still waiting to hear back from the director about whether he thinks my character must swear (It's completely understandable in the scene -- daughter confronts dying father who abused her, but I think it could be acted just as strongly without most of it). If they'll cut all but one, I think I'll do it. Fun, huh?
Drea is in town for the weekend. She leaves tomorrow. I wish she could have stayed longer. She helped move furniture around. Mom and Allie switched rooms today (bedroom and sewing) and Drea took over the move. I've been "in charge" so much the past couple of weeks, I was ready for someone else to take over. *sigh of relief*
I'll keep you updated.
I'm working on a project in my unemployment (which I love, by the way. I can't wait until I'm debt free and, if this job works out, able to make all the money I'll need for the year in 4 months, and then do whatever for the rest of the year!!!). The scrapbook is coming along well, and I'm making at least one trip a day to Craft Warehouse!
I turned down an audition today. I submitted myself for a short independent film that in the synopsis, sounded interesting, but upon reading the script last night, is about a woman who, while adopted herself, has an abortion so that she can go to art school.
I quit my job again.
My feeling is, when someone grabs your butt, and management says, 'take it as a compliment,' it's time to leave.
I was in a movie today. It was very exciting. Actually, moviemaking is a very dull process, and benefits a lot from editing.
The call was at 8:00. I was there a few minutes early. They put all the extras in a greenroom, and the costumer came through to check on our outfits and make sure we were all within the color scheme. The AP brought us snacks and showed us the bathrooms. Then we waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The lights were shorting out the circuits at the winery, and the generator was not working because of the heavy rainfall. So we waited.
...
...
...At 12:45 they pulled in half the extras for wine tasters in the background of the scene in which the lead actor meets the woman he will have an affair with...
At 1:30, after three takes, they yelled, "Cut! Lunch break." Half hour lunch break featuring catered jumabalaya and coleslaw.
At 2:30 the cameras began rolling, same scene. Same TWO LINES. I counted 45 takes. Four hours. Two lines.
...
Break to move the camera to the next shot.
.....
....
4:00 they bring in the last of the extras (that's me) to stand around holding wine glasses in the background of the scene where the lead actor gives a glass of wine to his wife, who comments on the blonde lady who just flirted with him.
Ten takes, and they send us home.
On the plus side of all that waiting around, I got to have a really cute guy who worked at the winery for my partner in my scene. We were brilliant by the way. We stood talking naturally, and then he'd indicated over my shoulder, and I turned around and smiled and handed one of the wine glasses to the girl walking in from off screen. Stellar acting. You'll be able to see it if you look closely in the background. But watch for the blooper in the movie. Because they shot the next two lines of him handing his wife the glass, while in the background we did our little routine. Then they decided to do an establishing shot of him walking from the last take, into the new scene, and with no instructions, we did the same schtick over again. So, if they use all the takes we did, you'll watch him walk across the room while a woman walks onscreen and is handed a wineglass, then in the next closeup, it will happen again.
I get the credit for this in the Nitpickers Guide.
