April Nablopomo - Letters

I wasn't going to do it this month, but I LOVE the idea of letters - letters to the editor, to friends, to companies, to self. Focusing on fonts or on letters themselves...cool.

I think I will have an easier time doing this than the lists...maybe. We'll see.

The End of March Madness and this NaBloPoMo

Well, it has been an interesting month. I thought I would spend it writing lists of things and I didn't really do that. I started out with lists as my March theme, but then I dropped off as life got more complicated.

Here's my final list for March:

Things I would like to be doing instead of what I'm actually doing:

1. Staying at Cannon Beach in a quiet hotel room on the beach watching the snow and listening to the ocean
2. Flying to NYC to see "RENT" over and over again.
3. going to Sacramento to visit my friends
4. Watching movies all day in my pajamas
5. Reading until I can't see straight - trying to catch up on my book reading goals
6. Finishing my craft box that I started on Saturday

I love Oprah Magazine

I found this beautiful poem in an old Oprah magazine. Just what I needed today.

"You will be walking one night
in the comfortable dark of your yard
and suddenly a great light will shine
round about you, and behind you
will be a wall you never saw before...

Though you have done nothing shameful,
they will want you to be ashamed.
they will want you to kneel and weep
and say you should have been like them...

Be ready.
When their light has picked you out
and their questions are asked, say to them:
"I am not ashamed." A sure horizon
will come around you. The heron will begin
his evening flight from the hilltop."

Wendell Berry, from "Do Not Be Ashamed"

Hands, Hands, Everywhere Hands!

I love this picture and yet, it creeps me out. Weird.

Quote of the day

"It is a sadness of growing older that we lose our ardent appreciation of what is new and different and difficult."

Elizabeth Aston, The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, 2005

I definitely prefer known quantities, consistency and predictability at this point in my life. Roby would laugh at how old I have become. He kept me young, I think. And on my toes.

Working on my next show

Lessons

Loose lips sink ships.
Discretion is the better part of valor.

Beauty is...

I remember seeing this photo layout of Liv Tyler about 10 years ago or so...I thought she was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. I couldn't believe her father was Steven Tyler...bizarre.

More clips because writing is beyond me right now

peter paul and mary 1964 newport folk festival


pink dear mr president live

Holy Cow, what a week!

So instead of a movie day yesterday, I spent most of the day moving boxes and things from one storage space to a new one. A guy who was moving out of the storage facility hit a sprinkler head and the place flooded.

The guy at the storage place has no concept of how to give people the information they need to do what needs to be done...The first message was that there had been an "incident" and that I should call. Sounded like someone had broken in, so I figured I couldn't really do anything about it that day. The second message the next day said that "there was water involved" and I should come asap. I went in after the second message and they guy told me they would need for me to move all the stuff out so they could inspect the space. I went in before work and I had already gone into the space and it didn't look wet at all. I couldn't smell anything or find water where it seemed most logical that it would be. There was no way I could move all that stuff alone in the short time I had before work, so I told them I would come in on Saturday. He was shocked, like, "Don't you care?" and I thought, "Well, if it is already ruined, I can't change that. I will deal with the consequences on Saturday."

So I went to the space yesterday with my mother where a woman finally gave me information. The water was seeping in from the back corner and they were worried about mold. She told me they would give me plastic bags, boxes and another storage space to move my stuff to (I didn't want to move it all out into the hallway and then have to move it back where water might seep in...). I spent most of the day moving boxes until I could hardly move anymore. I trying not to look at all the stuff, but I decided to CLEARLY mark the boxes that weren't already marked. So I found a purple marker in the first box, opened the lid and marked the boxes as best I could with a L, M, H for light, medium or heavy. A lot of the boxes were marked with things like "Old CRAP" or "1990s Crap" or "Really Old WEIRD Crap". But that helps me know what to expect. I did find some important boxes with papers and things from HS or my childhood. I found my AAS degree and HS Diploma, my HS yearbook and some of the writing I had done in high school.

This will continue to be a project, but the good news was that there didn't appear to be any water in the space. Whew.

More videos because I like them...

Les Miz tony awards



Endless Night

What a week

It has been a really intense week at work, in my life, with people. I have been craving good sleep and a mental escape from all the frantic-ness and neediness of people. I love connections and I love people, but it takes so much energy to be with so many people in a week...

Anyway, I am hunkering down for a movie day tomorrow - GUILT FREE. I have earned it this week.

And in case things don't get any better...

wheels of a dream

This week is not rounding out well...

Bad week at work, an "incident" at my storage unit that I have to investigate, feeling kind of crappy and not sleeping well/enough. I hope things get better before the weekend.

Here's something that will make me happy:

One Day More – OLC Reunion



bui doi – peter polycarpou (original London cast)

I am grumpy...so here...

I think Jennifer Hudson is gorgeous and has an incredible voice.

Photobucket meme

I was reading a random blog and came across this...It was fun, except for the last question...

Here I go.

The rules are:

1. Go to http://photobucket.com
2. Type in your answer to each question in the search box.
3. Use only the first page
4. Copy the html and paste for the answer.



1. What is your relationship status?







2. Who is your celebrity crush?











3. Who is your favourite band?










4. What is your favourite movie?

























5. What kind of pet do you have?










6. Where do you live?









7. Where do you work?










8. What do you look like?











9. What do you drive?
















10. What is your favourite TV show?























11. Describe yourself.

12. What’s your name?







13. What’s your favourite candy?




















14. Do we have anything in common?

Tap Project - Help Unicef Provide Clean Drinking Water

INDIA: A woman and a girl draw water from a pump set up in a tent camp for people displaced by the tsunami in the seaside village of Mudtukadu. UNICEF/ HQ05-0491/Ami Vital

I posted this on my other blog, but on the off chance that someone might read about this and participate in the Tap Project this week, I decided to put it in both places....

I heard about this on the radio (KPOJ 620 AM) on Air America. The Tap Project was in NYC last year for one night and raised $100,000 by charging patrons of restaurants $1 for a glass of tap water. The money goes to help provide clean drinking water to children and impoverished people all over the world. On the website, it says for every $1 earned, a child will have clean drinking water for 40 days.
On the radio this morning, they said the number of children who die each year because they do not have access to clean drinking water. It is the second leading cause of death for children under age 5 worldwide.
To find out more or to find out how to participate THIS WEEK, go to Tap Project.
I know that we take our water for granted in the United States and, I think, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. We consider our water to be pristine for the most part. And we are lucky. Since I started my 101 in 1001 project, I have been making sure I drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. I guess it has become such an important part of my commitment to myself recently that this really caught my ear.
Here is more information about water taken from the Tap Project website:
Tap Water FactsThe Situation· More than 5,000 children are dying every day as a result of water-borne diseases· For each dollar spent on water and sanitation projects, the projected return on investment is from $3 to $34How UNICEF Helps· UNICEF works to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, while promoting safe hygiene practices in more than 90 countries around the world· More than 1.2 billion people gained access to improved drinking water between 1990 and 2004 through UNICEF's efforts, and about 1.2 billion gained access to improved sanitation facilities· UNICEF's goal is to cut the number of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation in half by 2015
Another website Water for Life talks about a decade of work on the issue. Just remember, $1 for 40 days of clean water. Small price to pay.

SignPlay.com

I just spent the morning updating SignPlay.com and I re-did my bio. I want to change it all soon, but I don't have the expertise in HTML to do the whole site myself. I am trying to figure out what I want it to look like. I got a sitemeter up there so that I don't lose the stats everytime I make a new main page...As of today (right before I made this dumb error), SignPlay.com had had 4,482 visitors. Not bad for a rinky-dink operation in a rural state serving a teeny-tiny population of people.

Aside from all of that, I got all the 2008-2009 season information up that I had access to and I updated the Yahoogroup calendar so that email reminders will go out a few days before the shows.

I feel a sense of relief. Even though this is purely a volunteer effort, people feel like they can get nasty about things not being updated. :(

So, check it out - www.signplay.com

Enjoy.

Another lazy Saturday

One of the things I hate the most about this job is the affect it has had on my weekends. I don't hate my job, but it is utterly exhausting - emotionally, mentally. The constant level of chaos just makes it hard to want to do anything on the weekends.

Most weekends, as I approach them, consists of broken plans. Mostly I think about cleaning and doing a bunch of errands - clean my car out, wash it, clean my bedroom, do a project.

Usually, I end up waking up really early and watching a movie or something and then I fall asleep again around 10:30am and then the rest of the day is spent avoiding whatever plan I had.

I think I need to write my weekend plans down. Make them as important as the blog or the movies or whatever. Maybe writing here will be my reward for getting a task done.

Hmmm. I like that idea. Let me think about it some more.

Word Cloud

List of 101 things - addendum

Here are things I need to add to my list, but haven't taken the time to do it or don't know what the priority is or it is on the list but I need to change it (in no particular order, but numbered here for clarity and ease of reading):

1. scan all photos and slides of the family
2. change: drink 8 glasses of water per day all 1001 days (too stringent). Change to 5 days out of 7, drink 8 glasses of water per day (goal is always daily, but not always possible). That is 70% of the time or 700/1001 (260/365 X 3). Since I started this, I have succeeded in the 70% mark every week.
3. Set up a rehearsal calendar for shows.
4. Set up rehearsal/show dates on Calendar and request PTO for all appropriate days.
5. get my bedroom cleaned up
6. prepare the subaru for sale
7. get transcript eval done for bachelor's degree
8. take a class summer 2008
9. Take a class every term until I complete my degree


That's it for now. I'm sure there are more.

Posting Challenged

I have all these thoughts in my head during the day that I want to write about when I get a moment to visit here and then when I sit down, all of my thoughts disappear and I am left floundering for a topic...

I imagine myself a great writer, or that someone will find my musings somewhat interesting...but maybe that isn't it. I was thinking today that I haven't really settled on some THING - like a topic - books, music, art, crafts, something that might lend a thread of a theme to my thoughts. I am just pouring out this hodgepodge of stuff.

Maybe this is like spring cleaning and then when I get everything shiny and new looking, I will be ready for the REAL work.

I hope so.

I don't get to eat them, but I found a great photo...

On Google images - I typed in cupcakes, after seeing a lovely picture of some cupcakes on a blog.

I liked this picture the best...

List of Facts about People that We all NEED to Know

Taken from Charity Navigator: Humanities
http://www.charitynavigator.org/

Did you know?

Shaken baby syndrome is responsible for about 1,500 infant deaths a year nationwide. Men are responsible for 80 percent of shaken baby syndrome cases.

The number of assaults against the homeless is rising. In 2005, 73 homeless people were assaulted nationwide and 13 died.

The U.S. Administration on Aging estimates that 1 out of 4 seniors in the U.S. has an inadequate diet.

One of every six children in America lives in poverty.

Veterans account for nearly one-third of all homeless men in America, even though the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says they comprise only 13 percent of adult males in the general population.

One in five children (10 to 17 years old) receive unwanted sexual solicitations online.

Alcohol abuse kills some 75,000 Americans each year and shortens the lives of these people by an average of 30 years.

64% percent of children ages 4-11 have cotinine in their blood (a marker of recent exposure to secondhand smoke).

There are about 542,000 foster care children in the United States; 126,000 of them are waiting to be adopted.

Of those people seeking emergency food relief, more than one-third (36%) had to choose between buying food or paying for housing.

"12 Angry Men" - Movie review

I'm supposed to interpret "12 Angry Men" in a touring show on Thursday. We won't be able to see the play until Tuesday, so I rented the original movie with Henry Fonda, Jack Klugman and a couple of other guys I can't remember.

To be honest, I was DREADING the movie. Even if I like the play, I often don't really groove to old movies. It's one of my darkest secrests (is that good or bad??) - I don't like old classic black and white movies. Some of them are all right, but I don't even want to watch them unless someone MAKES me do it.

I remember some movies from when I was a kid, but mostly, I remember watching color movies on TV when I was a kid. Even color doesn't really do it for me - I just don't automatically like a movie because it is old. I've never seen "Casablanca" or "On the Waterfront" or "From Here to Eternity" or "Citizen Kane". I've only seen a few Hitchcock movies and I didn't love them.

Anyway, "12 Angry Men" wasn't bad. One of the things I hate about old movies is how overwrought they are...the women are total washrags or too stupid to be believed and everything is often totally over the top. There are a few exceptions - "The Wizard of Oz", "To Kill a Mockingbird", but generally speaking, I just don't want to watch.

This movie was very understated in many ways. I read that they filmed the whole thing in a tiny Jury Room, so I'm sure the actors had the sense of being trapped together until they came to some kind of agreement. It made for some realism.

Anyway, I'm glad I watched it. It gave me a good feeling for what I should expect on Tuesday. It won't be a hard show to interpret. The hardest part is that John-boy is playing the lead role. Richard...Thomas? I can't remember... I never liked "The Waltons" either.

"Mamma Mia" Movie Trailer

Due out this summer!

I don't have a list today...

Today was filled with things I have to do, so while I'm participating in NaBloPoMo and the theme for March is lists, I have chosen NOT to do a list just because it seems like I should.

The last week or so has been busy and I am finding it challenging to keep up with all the posting - well, I'm keeping up, but I think the list thing can be limiting because I don't think about it as much as when I'm writing something. Does that even make sense?

I had all these grand plans to be writer when I was young. Now, all these years later, I can't think why I would ever imagine myself a writer. I'm glad to have the blog to start down the path again. I'm really rusty, so I guess this is just the dusting-off process. It feels pretty dusty in here...

It's all good, right? The journey to anywhere starts with the first step. I am taking it. I step daily. That's important.

2008-2009 Broadway Season in Portland

1. A Chorus Line - July 29-August 3, 2008










2. Spring Awakening - October 21-26, 2008











3. The Color Purple - Dec. 30, 2008-January 4, 2009









4. Wicked - March 4 - April 5, 2009









5. The Rat Pack - Live at the Sands - April 7-12, 2009










6. Grease - April 21-26, 2009














7. Rent - June 23-28, 2009

Things that get in the way of posting

March 6, 2008

1. Work
2. Sleep
3. chores
4. work
5. watching "24" and "American Idol"

10 Movies You Intended to Watch but Haven't Yet

This is from 10 On Tuesday (I tried to get the badge or the original link, but I couldn't find it..I linked from "The Daily Meme".

1. Gandhi
2. Casablanca
3. Sicko
4. Life is Beautiful
5. August Rush
6. Braveheart
7. Hideous Kinky
8. Brokeback Mountain
9. Finding Neverland
10. Million Dollar Baby

Top 10 Children's books ever...

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2. The Velveteen Rabbit
3. Trumpet of the Swan
4. Ferdinand the Bull
5. Were the Wild Things Are
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
7. The Boxcar Children
8. Charlotte's Web
9. Little House on Plum Creek
10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Why am I doing this? A List

I have been thinking a lot about why I am choosing to blog when I have not written anything AT ALL in years. I'm kind of unsure about having people read what I have to say. Obviously, I'm not writing state secrets in my little Happiness blog, but it is my life and I'm not sure how settled I am in this whole thing - and yet I'm fascinated.

So here are 10 reasons I keep blogging, even in my insecurity:

10. I can't help it now..I think about it a lot
9. I love the sense of community that can be built via blogging and reading blogs
8. I'm returning to my passion - writing. Even writing lists guides me to open my mind back up in a way I haven't in a long time.
7. I like playing with all the colors and fonts to get things how I like them
6. If I'm going to read people's blogs, I feel like I should put something out there. Not like anyone knows who I am or cares what I'm up to, but maybe sometime, somthing I write will help or make someone laugh, touch them. Who knows?
5. I like the idea of leaving something behind
4. It will help me keep Roby's memory alive, and my father's and other people gone before their time
3. I like the idea of leaving something behind to remember me by (hey, we all gotta go someday)
2. I like memes

And the number 1 reason I am doing this...
1. I like the accountability of commiting to something and following through with it. Maybe I won't be able to finish my committment, but if I do, what an amazing journey to look back on, whether it is the 101 in 1001 days or the blog365 or whatever else I do.

So, that's my list for today. I hope to write something more profound, but until then, cheers.

Top 20 "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" Episodes

1. End of Days (Season 7, Episode 143)


2. Chosen (Season 7, Episode 144)


3. Empty Places (Season 7, Episode 141)


4. Once More, With Feeling (Season 6, Episode 107)


5. The Weight of the World (Season 5, Episode 99)


6. The Gift (Season 5, Episode 100)


7. Beer Bad (Season 4, Episode 61)


8. Fear, Itself (Season 4, Episode 60)


9. The Pack (Season 1, Episode 6)


10. The Yoko Factor ( Season 4, Episode 76)


11. The Body (Season 5, Episode 94)


12. Hush (Season 4, Episode 66)


13. Tabula Rasa (Season 6, Episode 108)


14. Conversations with Dead People (Season 7, Episode 129)


15. Lies My Parents Told Me (Season 7, Episode 139)


16. Touched (Season 7, Episode 142)


17. Becoming Part 1 (Season 1, Episode 33)


18. Becoming Part 2 (Season 1, Episode 34)


19. The Wish (Season 3, Episode 43)


20. Earshot (Season 3, Episode 52)

March Madness

I have been wondering what nablopomo meant since I started this whole blogging journey and today I found out. It is National Blog Posting Month - a commitment to post to your blog every day for a month. Since I found it today and today is the first day of March, I choose March to try to make this happen.

The theme this month is lists. I am happy about that because I think I am also starting the 101 in 1001 days. I started yesterday, but I haven't posted the list.

I am due to end on November 26, 2010. Roby's birthday. How poetic.

Here is my initial list of 101 things in 1001 days. I reserve the right to change the list...and to complete it.

The list
So this is the list. May be changed at a later date

1. Blog Daily for the month of March (1/31)
2. Read a book a month
3. Drink 8 glasses of water each day (0/1001)
4. Do one random act of kindness a week (0/143)
5. Compliment someone each day (0/1001)
6. Go to the beach alone for at least 3 days
7. Reread all Harry Potter books in order
8. Write down every film I see and book I read during 2008 (go back and blog them too) Definitely, Maybe, Spiderwick Chronicles, 27 Dresses, Stardust
9. Go for 7 days (not consecutive) without complaining once (0/7)
10. Get my hair cut
11. Identify 101 things that make me happy (0/101)
12. Make mixed theatre CD for Kevin as agreed
13. Stay in touch with Jeffa
14. Give up swearing for 1 month (0/31)
15. Buy a digital camera
16. Learn how to use digital camera
17. Take photos once a month
18. See Wicked again
19. Cook a 3 course dinner for friends/family
20. set up the recumbent bike
21. Vote
22. Redecorate room
23. Write 20 letters and send them (0/20)
24. use recumbent bike 6 days per week – build up to 30 mins per session
25. Write a new list for when this one is finished
26. Blog about every task
27. Watch all seasons of "24" by end of 1001 days
28. Blog about Fave "Buffy" episodes
29.
30.
31.
32. Do some volunteer work
33. Read the newspaper everyday
34.
35.
36.
37.
38. 39.
40.
41.
42. 43. Make a birthday cake for someone
44.
45. Write 5 anonymous encouraging letters to random people I know and give them it (0/5)
46. Donate $10 randomly to a random charity
47.
48. Completely clear out my bedroom
49.
50. Stop eating when I'm not hungry for 30 days (0/30)
51.
52. Buy a boxset of one of my fave tv shows
53. Go on a trip for a week
54.
55.
56.
57. save all loose change in the same jar
58. Buy a new blackberry
59. 60. Use my calendar
61.
62.
63. Take a picture of myself once a month for the entirety (0/33)
64.
65. Complete a day of silence
66. Bake some goodies and give out to friends
67.
68.
69.
70.
71. Leave encouraging notes in random places (0/50) note-must keep postits with me at all times
72.
73.
74.
75. Take someone out for coffee (or tea, whatever floats your boat) (0/3)
76.
77. Have a real indepth conversation face to face with a friend
78.
79.
80. Have a professional photo taken and bought
81. Go for 10 walks in the park (0/10)
82. Keep a dream diary for a month
83.
84.
85.
86.
87. Go TV free for one week
88.
89. Sleep under the stars
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95. Give 5 "just because" gifts
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Donate $5 to charity for every item I don't complete