This house is just like Architectural Digest, Francine!

Fear...

2009-12-01T23:43:00.003-05:00

Wild Adventures is Craptastic

2009-08-30T23:14:00.003-04:00

Eric knew I was jonesing for a theme park trip (since I talk about very little else), and since we didn't need to spend the money to hit Orlando, he suggested we check out Wild Adventures in Valdosta, GA, about 2 hours away. I guess that makes it my home park. Maybe we should move from the shame of that.Wild Adventures is a smallish park off I-75 just north of the Florida border in Georgia. A

Oh, the food

2009-06-24T21:01:00.003-04:00

Since I'm out of school, and don't have the money to go ride coasters every day, food has become a major time-consumption strategy for me. To combat this, I'm actually, like, exercising, in, like, a gym. But that's another post. Today I finally made a successful crusty bread, so I'm pleased with myself. More about what I've been cooking later. Right now I want to talk about a wonderful

Nostalgia

2008-12-14T14:41:00.001-05:00

The warm, non-Autumn, non-Winter here in FL has me feeling nostalgic for TN. Here's a list, in no specific order:Red MaplesSnowDecent BarbecueXmas lights at DollywoodLunch at Bhan Thai in MemphisThe National Storytelling FestivalCurling up on the couch with a blanketSpeedway in Lights at Bristol Motor SpeedwayCold weatherSmoky Mountains National ParkMountains in generalFriends and familyPBR from

End of the semester

2008-12-08T18:42:00.003-05:00

So, school is winding down enough that I actually have time to blog. It's been a tough semester. They make the first semester insanely difficult, a shock to the system; but they tell me if you can survive it, you'll be OK for the rest of the program. One of the other first-year directors has decided this just isn't the place for him, so there will only be two of us from now on.I actually have a

Wow

2008-10-30T23:17:00.002-04:00

Gosh, I haven't posted in a long time. Chalk it up to The Schedule.Life in in Crawfordville, FL is pretty darn sweet, even if I'm in Tallahassee most of the time and only come home to Crawfordville to sleep. This school is, to say the least, intense. I'm doing more work at school than I ever thought I was capable of. Right now, I'm working on two projects for public performance, two directing

Long Day

2008-08-25T01:24:00.004-04:00

Today, I was supposed to work from 10:30-7:00. Didn't happen. I told my office that I had to be at FSU "general auditions" from 9:30 til 7:00 or so, and I'd work after that. When I got to the auditions, I was told that call backs for the show I'm Assistant Directing were scheduled for 7:00 tonight. OK. Guess I can't work.I said earlier that I might need to quit my job. I said, "If a faculty

Nerves

2008-08-17T00:10:00.002-04:00

Oh, my...I've just been looking at the webpages written by and things written about my fellow directing students here at FSU. They all have, like, credits. And resumes. And existing careers in the theatre. I have... a BFA, a number of years of doing very little artistically, a nearly-completed degree in Storytelling, of all things, a good mind (hopefully), and very little else. What have I

New Homes

2008-08-08T08:39:00.001-04:00

Hmmm... a quandary.We're finally in our lovely little house in Florida. Unpacking, all that stuff. Trixie's been playing the front yard on a tie-out (only when one of us is outside, too, of course). But this morning, around 15 minutes after I brought her in, here came two very large white dogs to sniff around my yard. They both appeared to be boxer mixes- possibly boxer/pit mix. Certainly large,

Wreck

2008-07-23T18:20:00.002-04:00

I'm a wreck. A WRECK. Can't sleep. Low appetite. My mortgage application has been sent to underwriting. There's no reason why I shouldn't get it. I meet all the criteria. Low credit score just means it has to be looked at a second time, but it shouldn't be a problem. Again, there's no reason why I shouldn't get it. There's a good chance we'll find out tomorrow.So what's the worry?

Pride (in the name of Truck)

2008-07-19T21:39:00.002-04:00

So you may or may not remember back when I broke the thermostat housing on my car. I was performing one of the very easiest of automotive repairs- replacing the thermostat. And I didn't get the housing seated correctly and I broke the damn thing trying to tighten it. The repair that would have cost me $14 ended up costing well over $200.Well, a few months ago, I was trying to figure out the

Fires

2008-07-15T00:08:00.002-04:00

So, those of you involved in academia will know that there are always little fires to be put out- usually just before the start of something or just before the end of it. Here's the fire I had to put out today:My mortgage people in Florida wanted a copy of my final letter of acceptance from Florida State. Sure thing, I thought. I'd gotten it about a week ago. They needed it because the

Moving, Mortgages, and Idiot Bankers

2008-07-10T00:48:00.000-04:00

Latest updates:1) I officially don't own my house anymore- it closed on Thursday. Whoo hoo!2) I can't get the super wonderful USDA-guaranteed mortgage because USDA won't count my assistantship as income. Because it's temporary, only for three years. Like I couldn't quit my job or get fired within three years! That's just dumb.3) The flaky mortgage guy at my bank- who takes days to return

Today

2008-07-04T20:57:00.001-04:00

Amendment ICongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.Amendment IIA well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to

Whoo hoo!

2008-07-01T01:21:00.002-04:00

I just realized that I've been posting to my myspace blog, but not this one. Guess it's time to catch you up. When I say "you," I mean the one person who reads this. Hi!My house is officially, completely, contracts-signed, and inspections-done sold. We close on Thursday, and I get to stay here till July 31st.I went to Florida with my mother and nephew a couple weeks ago to find a place to

2008-06-06T00:49:00.001-04:00

I am just beside myself with glee. The wondrous chain of events continues.These little guys are my new best friends. I picked them up at Epcot about a month ago. I've been meaning to get a maneki neko (lucky cat) for years now, but never did. And the daruma is pretty wonderful, too.For those who don't know, the cat isn't waving- he's beckoning, inviting in the good stuff. In this case,

Ego

2008-05-31T03:42:00.000-04:00

It's 3:30 in the morning, and I'm on the front porch listening to the rain. We're having lovely, intermittently torrential rain tonight, and I love it. I've spent the past few hours reading interviews and biographies of some people whose work I admire (specifically Jim Henson and Frank Oz) and catching up on the doings of the Henson company.I'm having some trepidation about going into the

Florida

2008-05-29T02:37:00.002-04:00

OK, I'm looking for a place to live. If anyone who happens upon this blog can help, please, please comment. I'd like to buy a house for under $100K within a 30 minute drive of Florida State University. 45 minutes if the house or area makes it worthwhile. All I know about the area is what I saw in the 10 hours I was there earlier this month. I'm beginning to freak out! Here's what I wish for

More kismet

2008-05-22T02:19:00.002-04:00

Oh, my GOD, I sold the house. Took all of 8 days, got my full asking price, selling to really good friends so both they and the neighbors will be happy. Wow. Just waiting for their agent to get me the contract. AND they probably won't want to take possession for a couple of months. Wow.

Interest

2008-05-16T02:23:00.002-04:00

Selling the house:I put an ad in the paper- it started on Tuesday. Someone came to see it Tuesday afternoon. I put a sign in the yard. I saw someone stop and write down the number. He and his wife came to see it today, and either they're really good actors or they REALLY like my house. I put an ad on craigslist Tuesday night. 2 people have asked for interior photos. Wish me luck!

So much to do!!!

2008-05-10T15:34:00.000-04:00

Anybody wanna buy a house in Johnson City, TN? Asking price $87,500. *read the following out loud in happy lady advertising voice:* "Walking distance from the University and in a very friendly neighborhood! 2 bedrooms and an office or 3 bedrooms. Great for first-time home-buyers or investment property. New interior paint, full basement for extra storage, large fenced yard, and a relaxing front

The Immediate Future

2008-05-06T23:22:00.001-04:00

I got in to Florida State. I will start the MFA Directing program in August. :)I'm at Disney World. I'm really happy. :)

Huh?

2008-05-03T19:37:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I considered, even for a SECOND, the notion that I could move house and not take the angels with me.

Wish List

2008-05-02T21:54:00.003-04:00

OK, here's my current wish list. Cross your fingers, pray, do whatever it is the hell that you do.I get in to Florida State.Even though the deadline has passed, they want me enough to give me a Fellowship.

Overwhelmed

2008-04-30T01:42:00.001-04:00

The past few days have been a whirlwind. Here's why. OK. Let me do a little prefacing.As you may know, I'd decided not to go get an MFA in Directing when I finish the Storytelling program.As you may NOT know, the Storytelling program is set up so that I could take no classes this fall and spring, take classes in the summer, and graduate then.SO- OK, I'll make a long story short. On Saturday

Decent food, FINALLY

2008-04-19T15:52:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited.I've finally found a GOOD restaurant in the Tri-Cities. Not a decent one, not a good-enough one. A GOOD one. Before, we made do with Carabba's, the Italian-esque chain. It's not bad- actually pretty tasty, but it's heavy and kind of expensive and the service is AWFUL (I do like to get caesar salads for take out).The place I found is (I think) called "Volcanoes Bakery." At least

He's a demon on wheels

2008-04-17T01:40:00.002-04:00

Can I just tell you how excited I am about the upcoming Speed Racer movie? Speed Racer IS my childhood. I don't know it for a fact, but I probably watched reruns of it as a little bit in Japan (I know I watched Kamen Rider. Anyway, after a year and a half of Japanese TV as an infant, when I saw Speed on TV back in Tennessee, there was something familiar and wonderful about it. This show,

Everybody's Job

2008-04-11T21:14:00.001-04:00

With a title like "Everybody's Job," I bet you think I'm going to talk about saving the planet, or the children, or something. No, not at all. I'm going to ask, "Why do I know how to do everybody's job better than they do?"So for the past couple weeks there's been a little crack in the topcase of my MacBook. Aspreading crack. Now, I already knew MacBooks are prone to this. It was just a matter of

New Title

2008-04-09T14:04:00.003-04:00

If you know not only the name of the movie it's from, but also the name of the character who says the new title of my blog, put it in comments and maybe I'll, like, send you a Holiday World postcard.

More fun in Theme Park World

2008-04-05T22:30:00.005-04:00

Today, I took my friend Marjorie to Dollywood, and we had a blast. Marjorie is 65, a grad student studying Storytelling, known all over Michigan as Mother Goose (complete with costume), and quite enamored with the notion of retiring to East Tennessee. We got a late start, so we didn't make it to the Apple Store in Knoxville, but went straight to Pigeon Forge. On the way, I discovered that not

Ribs, bitch!

2008-04-04T21:27:00.002-04:00

I love to barbecue. I love pork.And I've figured out good ways to do it in my gas grill, using LOTS of soaked hickory chips. I'll usually smoke a pork shoulder for about 12 hours. And it's better than any restaurant- well, better than any restaurant around here, anyway. I'll never best Tops or the now-defunct Three Little Pigs in Memphis. Today, I thought I'd try my hand at ribs. So I put

Bible Stories

2008-04-03T02:44:00.002-04:00

So I'm taking a Group Storytelling Class this semester. I took it last year, too. Last year, we made a little "story theatre" piece out of a bunch of Jack Tales and "youngest daughter tales." This time, we're working on stories from Genesis. We're trying to focus on them as stories, but dogma seems to be getting in the way for a lot of people. When I told my version of Joseph and the coat

They've done it again

2008-03-29T01:52:00.001-04:00

You know, I'm not a big gamer. I love old school video games, you know, where the story is short and you can't save and all that. Today, they call those "platformers." Today's platformers have more in-depth stories and such, but it's a very, very rare game that captures my attention enough to play it all the way to the end (I really miss the days when games didn't have ends).Anyway, I love the

The Future

2008-03-28T14:28:00.001-04:00

Today, I'm thinking about The Future. I'm starting to think that, as much as I would really love to teach theatre at the university level, I'm not so sure I want to go to school anymore. I'm already really in debt from student loans, I'm 36 years old, and, honestly, I'm kind of tired of school and work as my entire life. So I'm thinking about what kinds of jobs I could do with a BFA in Theatre

Spring Planting

2008-03-25T16:17:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, it snowed for about 3 or 4 hours. Didn't amount to much because it had been so warm earlier in the day, but there was enough of it to dust everything. Judging from what was on the table on the deck, must've been about a quarter inch. It was still there this morning. But today, Spring is here. It's so beautiful out that I did a little planting. I bought some iris and tulip bulbs

My Tennessee Mountain Home

2008-03-23T00:21:00.002-04:00

I wasn't going to buy Dollywood season passes this year. I really can't afford it. But about a month ago, when I got the email telling me to Act Now And Save Money Before Prices Go Up, I just couldn't resist. I really love Dollywood and since it's less than 2 hours away, I love being able to go down on a Friday or Saturday on the rare day I have time and/or just need a break. So I did it. A

Oh, and...

2008-03-18T01:11:00.001-04:00

I told my office time and time again that the problem with our website was a firewall at the server. Of course, the people who own the server swore that wasn't it. They finally got it fixed. Guess what? I was RIGHT.

Little Friends

2008-03-18T01:06:00.002-04:00

So when we got this house, there was a washer and dryer under the back deck. The "office" was apparently an addition, and it juts out of the house next to the deck. There was an electric range under there. The washer and dryer were gotten rid of after a few months, but I kept the range. I kept saying I was going to bring it inside to see if it works. It's actually a nicer range than the one in

On being a Good Student

2008-03-10T19:00:00.001-04:00

Being a Good Student entails more than just getting everything done excellently. It involves more that doing Everything That Is Assigned to the best of your ability. It also involves being able to say, "Fuck that! It's unrealistic and I'm already doing better than everyone else in the class!"

Nerd Post

2008-03-10T18:19:00.002-04:00

OK, this is going to be a Nerd Post, so I beg indulge. And if any of the people who read this blog - either of you - have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.As you may know, I work from home. My job involves downloading large pdf files from a server. Over the weekend, my company moved its service from a company in St Louis to a company in Minnesota. My company's website and

Good music

2008-02-29T00:57:00.001-05:00

I'm currently loving Lily Allen's "Alright, Still." Check it out, if you haven't already.

Now in cinemas

2008-02-23T00:08:00.001-05:00

I was just thinking about the movie industry, and then I realized the Oscars are this weekend. Chalking it up to serendipity, I thought I'd write was I was thinking about.I've been wanting to see Cloverfield. I was very very careful to avoid spoilers. I know nothing about it, really, even though I did happen across a photo online of a prototype collectible action figure of the monster. Dammit.

I love these kids.

2008-02-21T21:56:00.001-05:00

2008-02-20T01:04:00.001-05:00

Gosh, I love my meds. Day 13 now, and I'm back to myself as of yesterday. Drinking much less- OK I don't have to get up early tomorrow. Shut up! Going to school this morning wasn't difficult. Staying up to read homework last night wasn't difficult. This morning, in fact, I was up a half-hour before I needed to be.Eric has a new permanent job that pays decently, so he thinks we might ought to

Status Update

2008-02-13T01:06:00.001-05:00

6 days into the meds. I think I may be over the hump- there's an initial period where sometimes you feel worse for a few days before you feel better. I felt worse yesterday than I have in a long time... and I feel better today than I have in a long time. SO there ya go.

Patterns

2008-01-28T00:53:00.000-05:00

I doubt that the lone person who reads this blog, or maybe the two of you, knows that I have a long history of clinical depression. It's usually not a big deal. It seems to be cyclical. Or rather, once I managed to take action years ago, it's become cyclical. Every few years, I'll notice patterns re-emerging, and I'll know it's time to see the doctor. I'll have a flare-up (like some people

Snowy Mountains Retouched

2008-01-26T17:30:00.001-05:00

Snowy Mountains Retouched Originally uploaded by Curtis and Eric I tried to make it look like an old postcard, and got rid of the power lines

Snowy Mountain

2008-01-25T16:01:00.001-05:00

Snowy Mountain Originally uploaded by Curtis and Eric The view from our back deck, 1/23/08

Classes and such

2008-01-24T00:25:00.000-05:00

School has begun, and I'm happy about it. I've resolved to walk to and from class this semester. That's Monday afternoons, Tuesday mornings, then again on Tuesday afternoons. Takes about 20 minutes each way. One of the reasons we picked this house was its proximity to campus. When we moved it, we immediately bought bikes, which have sat in the basement ever since. I don't trust Johnson City

Sing Along, Everyone!

2008-01-21T09:22:00.001-05:00

It's one of those crisp, cold, clear beautiful mornings when I wish life were a musical. If I knew the music and lyrics to The Lovely Morning song, I'd sing it right here on the front porch. Of course, there's that song from Oklahoma! but it isn't quite right for today. There's Joni Mitchell's Chelsea Morning, but that's not right, either. Oh, well, I guess I'll make up my own.

Waiting

2008-01-17T01:00:00.001-05:00

God, God, GOD, why do they make me wait so?So Eric bought an Apple TV the week they came out. So far we've been pretty unimpressed with it. He even tried to sell it on eBay last week- and there were NO BIDS! Here's a list of all we didn't like about it:It doesn't support a whole lot of popular video formats. This really, REALLY limits it in terms of high-def video- which is what we really

Can't sleep

2008-01-13T02:59:00.001-05:00

Well, it's almost 3 am and I'm wide awake, so I think I'll type aimlessly for a bit. I was tired earlier. Just before midnight, I thought I'd take a shower and go to bed. Then I thought I'd watch the end of the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie and then go to bed. I thought I had about 45 minutes of it left to see. But no- there were a couple more hours. So now I'm awake. I liked all

2008-01-12T23:03:00.001-05:00

If I were to actually use my Storytelling degree and try to make a living as a teller, I can only hope my career would be something like this, from Wonder Showzen with Amy Sedaris.

New Things

2008-01-12T00:18:00.000-05:00

Eric and I just got back from Knoxville. You see, he has Gadget Lust. Like, expensive Gadget Lust. I can't tell you how many computers and cell phones he's been through in the past few years. He gets them, becomes disenchanted, sells them on eBay, and gets something new. So he's decided to sell his HP computer, which is, to my mind, a really nice machine. But we were at dinner tonight,

Eeewww!

2008-01-11T13:12:00.000-05:00

Eric found a dead rat in the basement yesterday. Now he says he'll help me clean the basement out- YAY! But oh, the rat. When I picked up up to get rid of it, the underside was all covered in maggots. EEEWWW! I thought about positing a picture of just how nasty it was, going all John Waters on my unsuspecting readers (all three of you). But since you're nice enough to read, I'll spare

Politics

2008-01-08T23:47:00.000-05:00

I was surprised when Obama beat Clinton in Iowa, and I was surprised that Thompson beat Guiliani. Now comes New Hampshire, where Clinton and McCain have triumphed. Oh, John McCain, what has become of you? I loved you so much in the past. I want to write a letter to you:Dear John McCain,Are you a trixter, like Jack or Anansi? If I vote for you, will you shed the person you've become, playing to

Garbage bags

2008-01-08T01:25:00.000-05:00

While I completely understand their usefulness, doesn't it seem strange to buy something for the express purpose of throwing it away?

iTunes

2008-01-06T23:37:00.000-05:00

I just discovered something cool. If you click on the feeds link at the bottom of the page, you can subscribe to my video posts through iTunes, and it will automatically download by video posts (the ones I make, not YouTube ones) into your iTunes, like a podcast!

I can't feel my fingers

2008-01-03T00:55:00.001-05:00

OMG it is so COLD. NWS says it is 17 degrees. Low tonight of 10. Low tomorrow is 9! Farenheit, people!

I miss 1984

2008-01-02T13:09:00.000-05:00

2008-01-01T23:22:00.000-05:00

As soon as I made this post, it stopped. :(

Snow

2008-01-01T17:01:00.000-05:00

Been waiting all day for snow. Saw some through the window. Grabbed a coat, came outside to watch it... and it stopped. Ain't that the way it goes?

Nightswimming

2008-01-01T13:52:00.000-05:00

Bowl Game Branding

2008-01-01T13:41:00.001-05:00

undefined Game Bowl BrandingAdd to My Profile | More Videos

A new year

2008-01-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, folks. I'm going to begin the year by slowly moving my blog from myspace to here, to make it a bit more accessible. I think that's something I want.I have a personal NYE superstition. I was at Syd's parents' house one year to ring in the new year, and was pretty depressed. When I left, I thought, "The first song I hear on the radio when I turn on the car is the theme for the

2007-08-03T00:21:00.001-04:00

Wow. I forgot I had this blog. Maybe I'll start using it.

2003-11-21T21:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the first post. I've started my blog a year or so after it was cool to do so... right along with my track record. I'm very consistent.