| | Current Music: | Massive Attack | | Subject: | Tannhauser | | Time: | 12:28 pm |
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| Last night before taking a bow on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion I took part in a grand orgy in worship of Venus and did my best to help her keep her lover with us in Venusberg, all accompanied by an amazing live orchestra in front of 3500 people.
Life is wow.
www.laopera.com | comments: 26 comments or Leave a comment   |
| The time has finally come again for the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest and I'm giddier 'an a polecat in a perfume factory!!
Just practicing.
Like I promised myself I would do almost a year ago when it came back, I'm putting up pics of the grand ol' festival from last year here.
It was so much unexpected fun!! There were banjos and fiddles (naturally), washtub basses and banjozillas, hillbillies and hipsters, folk dancing and friendly folks, shopping (but not too much shopping), pretty hills, western film sets, the guitarist from Hole, amazing musicians, and so forth and so on...
Everyone I went with last year (Donny, Whitney, and James) are planning to go again this Sunday, and you should go too! Even if you think you don't like bluegrass it's really fun music to hear live and up close in a casual setting, and either way it's a beautiful day outdoors, ya lazy couch potato!
BTW, I've only learned 2 or 3 new songs on my banjo since last year (one's a doozy though) so wish me luck not embarrassing myself too bad! I'll probably just carry it around to look cool =P | | comments: 12 comments or Leave a comment |
| I've always understood that I care a little too much about what most people think of me, but I'm growing to understand that there's something more to it than that.
I think I've matured enough to not mind if someone doesn't really dig me, but only if it's based on them getting a proper impression of me. My concern is the idea that people don't like me, but that it's because they're only getting to see sides of me that even I don't care for. There's a Tara I think is really awesome, but it seems like more and more often that's not the Tara I'm putting out there and I hate to believe I'm being judged as that crappy ass Tara.
Here's hoping that the next stage of my interpersonal maturation is being able to shake off the self-consciousness and all the other things that screw me up when dealing with people, and, like me or not, be unregretfully the Tara that I think is a great person to know!!
Seriously. I can't take this neurotic shit anymore. Her time is just about up.
Anyhoo, life's actually been pretty busy and exciting lately!! Gotham Public Works is going through a HUGE, multi-faceted growth spurt and long term goals are finally starting to be realized (let's just pray this isn't the umpteenth set up for a big disappointment), we're doing some great stuff as far as organizing and decorating the ol' Hahacienda, I'm building up acts with my main performance partner for some shows that look like they might actually work out, there are fun piratey things afoot, married life continues to be rad (even though I'm still learning how to deal with the fact that I've stopped being a "chick"), and overall lots of things in life have been pretty interesting and nice!
Aaaahh. That felt kinda good =) Been a while...
Now I return to sewing my carnivally, room-separating drapes and swags! CHARGE!!!
P.S.
Every weekday morning now consists of watching "Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown" and "Great Hotels with Samantha Brown".
A.) I love that goofy ass woman
B.) I need a real vacation
P.P.S.
Donny reminded me that I've made a similar "I care about people liking me/I want to be less sucky around people" post before. Sorry! Let's hope it's the last. | | comments: 8 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | La Ciudad de los Bandidos | | Subject: | 'Sup? | | Time: | 07:10 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/sad.gif) guilty |
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| Hello =) First off I want to thank the folks who sent me those LJ nudge thingies, for it was thoughtful and sweet and is the reason I'm even finally posting.
So, long babbling stories and theories short, for several reasons over the years it seems I've found it harder and harder to take time to be social on teh internets. I sincerely and wholeheartedly wish I was one of those people who could keep on top of 3+ message boards, 3+ LJ comms, updating my LJ, replying to stuff on MySpace (I still can't believe we got an account), and keeping my inbox well below 100 emails without skipping a beat, but I totally can't. I can't even seem to do 1/3 of that!! But that basically means that any posts I make will most likely be few and far between.
It sucks too, cause I've got SOOOOOOO much stuff I'd LOVE to share and at least put in some written form!!!! The places I've been! The things I've seen! The insights I've had! The hair I've had cut! The Harry Potter I've finally read! Etc, etc... =)
Please know that I *DO* still read my f-list though, and my comms when I can catch up. I'm at the party, but I'm just preoccupied with some stuff I found in the garage... and I got kinda sober while I was out there so I'm not ready to party as hard as I'd like, but sooner or later I'm gonna want to freshen my whiskey sour and hang out and leave that crap in the garage alone for a little bit and- WOW. Metaphors totally aren't my thing. I am way too not concise.
XOXO | | comments: 27 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Thompson Twins (for a sec) | | Subject: | How many??!!! | | Time: | 04:51 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/happy.gif) good |
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| Do you know how much my butt would hurt if you spanked me for every year of how old I just became? Alot.
And last night a series of poopy events led to my hair being ALL purple again. I miss my blonde!! I feel so shadowed and swarthy lookin'. I even got to do my hair pretty genuine Harley style for a while! It got long enough to be in pigtails and it was mostly blonde with bangs. I NEED to round up a shot of when I wore it like that around Halloween...
Wow, I was 7 when my mom was my age. Yeesh! | | comments: 25 comments or Leave a comment |
| Just thought I'd share a little anecdote about what it's like to live in Hollywood and how it can screw up the simplest of tasks.
WARNING!!: Not hilarious! Maybe mildly amusing...
I was recently determined to bake a cake and in the middle of it realized my cooking oil and frosting had expired (I'd been meaning to make it for a loooong time). I'd already started some of it and didn't want it to coagulate or whatever so I had to hurry! The only food shops in walking distance are all Jewish run and it was Friday and the sun was just about to set marking the beginning of the Sabbath so I REALLY had to hurry! I made it to one shop and found oil, and they had cake mix but no frosting. I asked the shopkeeper about it, but they indeed carried no frosting. Trying to recall if I'd heard anything about frosting (or eating it with cake) maybe not being kosher I passed the other now closed shops on the way back home.
The nearest big chain grocery store was at least a 10 minute drive away (mostly due to Fairfax traffic) so I decided to hit Erewhon, the fancy schmancy organic grocery store around the corner by CBS. I luckily got a metered spot right out front (thank God CBS didn't have a line of The Price Is Right hopefuls out front) and went in. I searched everywhere looking for what I'm used to a bottle of cooking oil looking like, only to finally find a set of shelves carrying elegant bottles of organic oil at 6 times the price I'm used to paying. At this point I could throw out the cake mix I'd been using and save money by not having to buy this stuff! But I grabbed it. As far as frosting, my search for a yummy, cheap vat of ready-to-go goodness ended in finding only a box of organic frosting mix that I'd be obliged to put real effort into to make it edible. I was in this thing too deep now, so I went and bought it too.
Finally I had a completed cake that probably cost more than if I'd bought a gorgeous one over at Vons, but damn was it tasty! And I got to boast about it being half organic as though I'd meant it to be all along ^_^ | | comments: 15 comments or Leave a comment |
| ...You know, the one for that really key demographic that you have to fill in for test screenings and market research and stuff? Well today Donny hits the other end of it head on, for today he turns 34!!!
He's being a little bit of a baby about it, so if any of you who know him would like to send along some happy birthday wishes via phone or email I'm sure he'd be very surprised and touched.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETIE!! | | comments: 11 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Subject: | Grr. | | Time: | 06:04 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/annoyed.gif) discontent |
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| Fuck!!! Just found out my identity has been co-opted AGAIN! And through that damned, dirty myspace AGAIN!!
http://www.myspace.com/harleyquinn16x
They did it to our Catwoman too!
The cool thing is that the girl who does this let me know about it herself and has some section explaining that the pics and stuff aren't her own and all. While expressing my appreciation about that I still told her how I am EXTREMELY uncomfortable with it. Most people who are now my new myspace buddy-buds really don't seem to get that they're not writing to the girl in the pics (ME!!!), and just knowing that my identity is being used in a way that's not under my control and that words and facts and even layouts are being presented basically as mine that have nothing to do with me... ARRRG!!!! It makes me very jittery. Especially for someone who's as HUGE a control freak as I am.
She seems to be willing to take it down if I want which is also really cool of her. Then of course she mentioned the exposure this is probably giving our site, and that sure can't hurt I guess! I still might have her take them down though, but first I just told her about the changes I'd hope to see made and that might make me more comfortable with what she's doing. Guess I'll see what happens with that before I beg her to scrap the pages.
Oh, internet... | | comments: 15 comments or Leave a comment |
| Don't know if I'm actually getting more sensitive about it or that there are just more questionable instances recently (probably the latter), but I find myself being more concerned about people not liking me or just not really regarding me lately... I've always been inordinately concerned about peoples' opinion of me (and sometimes I'm afraid it shows in an unattractive way - there I go again!), but I have to say that for the most part I've gotten a much better grip on it as I've gotten older and it seems to only take about half as long as it used to before I say "Meh. Fuck it." and seem to really mean it. It's splendid!
Still lately I feel like I sense coldness from people who used to be warmer towards me, or like I'm out of loops I thought I was in, etc... I dunno. It really might just be a mood thing. And I really can't complain much cause these days I have more people in my life who I can truly let myself believe are genuinely happy to have me around than I ever thought possible, and friendships that used to be more party-based have been spreading into other parts of my life, so I guess I should really stop dwelling on, like, that person that I think I maybe said something dumb around, or that other person who doesn't seem to smile at me anymore or never writes me back... Silly stuff. Ok, I probably really can't, but dammit, at least I've got some perspective!
But in news of people who seem to really like me, last night we finally got to super duper hang out with Home Movies' own Brendon Small!!! At the beginning of the night I shook his hand and by the end I was riding him piggy back on the way to our cars ^_^
Donny, Faith and I met up with him, his brother, and his friend Tommy at The Derby, and lots of talking, drinking, laughing and mild debauchery ensued. I'd of course had all kinds of paranoid ideas like that he'd split early or that things would be awkward or that I'd spend the next day making a mental laundry list of regrets, but it all seemed to go really fabulously! After Brendon added a trip to Fred 62 to the night after The Derby closed we didn't even get home till a little after 3am! And to boot he told me something about Jackson Publick (the main Venture Brothers guy) mentioning me when he was down here in LA!! EEEK!!! it was kinda loud and we were kinda schnockered at that point, so later I'll have to ask him what that was all about. Still, rad!
Given everything I have reason to believe that won't be the last time we all hang out, and maybe next time we'll have the presence of mind to take pictures! And I REALLY gotta make sure my friend Jessica gets to meet him. Think she's gonna be more jealous than happy about the news, but it means I'm in a position to hook her up!
Wonder when I should hit him up for that banjo playing help he offered... | | comments: 13 comments or Leave a comment |
| Having no work and making no money means that those are days I at least get the chance to kick ass and get other stuff done!
One of several of those things today was going to the extra ("background artist") company I'm registered with and finally doing my digital resgistration, which is now apparently the only kind that counts with them. And costs $25 all over again.
Anyway, what's super cool is that they're the company that's been casting extras for "Deadwood", so wish me luck that they'll overlook my hair and decide that having some little chick playing a banjo at The Gem would be worth the price of a wig or cap to use me!! Otherwise maybe you'll catch me in "The Santa Clause 3".
And one of the other teenier things I finally got done is uploading that Publisher's Weekly cover we were on from months ago! Check it out!!!
Snazzy, no? Make sure to click on it to make it bigger if you can so it doesn't look all weird and wavy...
Then from much more recently here's a poster my face got used on by the fantabulous R. Black! So cool!!! If only I listened to Front 242. I gots big teef like bunny rabbit =P
So, pretty exciting to have my face on stuff. Now to get it on some yummy tuna casserole!! | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
| Don't know why I can't seem to post about most things till a week later, but there ya go. At least it keeps me from writing about things in unnecessary detail I guess.
Anyhoo, last weekend we went to Pirate Faire in Ojai by Lake Casitas and boy was it FANTASTIC!!! It was our 2nd year with the Rum Runners who are this crew of friends who live it up pirate style when they can, and who set up this gorgeous encampment that basically serves to create a really effective piratey atmosphere. We were there with our friends Jessica, Cat, and Bryn and we had such a good time!! We slept under the stars, drank rum all day, shopped for piratey finery, participated in a pirate-themed wedding, had various little jobs and tasks throughout the day, sang around a fire, ate pickled everything, talked alot, endeared ourselves to the crew and generally had a marvelous time! Plus I don't think I've ever been flirted with so much in the span of 2 or 3 days in my life. And all by pirates - SWEET!!!
Trying to seize the momentum I'm already doing research to improve my costumes for next year. Think I'm gonna have a more authentic woman-dressed-as-a-man costume (stripey breeches!) and improve my less authentic (but justified in my mind) pirate chick outfit.
Here are some pics from the event (mostly of Cap'n Jack's Rum Runners) http://timlandry.com/Faire05/index.htm
Of that lot here's my favorite one of yours truly http://timlandry.com/Faire05/source/dscn6406.htm
Which leads me to the topic that for the first time in about 15 years I let my hair go curly!! That picture doesn't show it to it's best since I didn't really re-curlify it there and just kinda left it as it was when I woke up, but for the first time in ages I shook hands with my hair's natural state and it went surprisingly well.
But on to the big event of this weekend... NIN!
Both opening bands were much better than expected (Queens of the Stone Age and Autolux), and the main show was of course fantastic!! Still miss Trent's hair though, but whatever. And it seemed that someone brought their nice little old granny to the show! I kept looking over to see if she seemed to be enjoying it; couldn't really tell...
Then after that we went to that comedy show (the Tomorrow Show) again with Faith and her friend Kevin. Something really clicked and we all laughed harder than we had in a looooooong time! Then I misjudged the power of the booze I was drinking (why I'm nauseous today) and afterwards when we got to talk to Brendon Small again (woo!)... well I just fear I/we may have screwed up the nice impression we've had going with him. Course I've been known to take a paranoid view on such things pretty much all the time, but still.
We even managed to secure a day with him when he said we'd all hang out like he keeps saying we should! I hope he remembers when we weren't obnoxious psychos and doesn't cancel.
And we saw Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's "Mirror Mask" Friday night with a group of friends, after eating Vietnamese food for the first time ever. Good stuff! And the film was BEAUTIFUL!! Seeing McKean's art living and moving and dimensional like that was an experience in itself. I recommend it! Plus I was told the main chick looked kinda like me, so that was neat. See?!! I could be in da movies!! =P
And we made it to Temple! Praise Yeshua =) | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Your Birthdate: November 9 | 
Your birth on the 9th day of the month adds a tone of idealism and humanitarianism to your nature.
You become one who can work easily with people because you are broadminded, tolerant and generous.
You are ever sensitive to others' needs and feelings, and you are very sympathetic and compassionate.
Your feelings run deep and you often find yourself in dramatically charged situations.
This 9 energy always tends to give more than it gets. |
Yeah, I can see that...
Donny's (October 21st) was FRIGHTENINGLY dead-on!
(And I love that there are kinda some Harley and Joker elements to each, respectively ^_^) | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| Just saw Andy Dick jog by my apartment again... HA!!
One sentence updates:
- Went to the LA County Fair with Donny and Jessica this weekend and, lo, it was rad and we saw the cutest baby goat EVER.
- Things got pretty wacky with that artist guy who was using our images for his paintings, but then got under control, but now I guess I have to confront him and tell him to not just stop painting us, but to stop selling the prints.
- Guess we're finally determined to go to Burning Man next year 0_0
- If my new New Rocks didn't totally eat up my next check I intend to finally get my vaudeville-style suit in the works!
- My dad has become a poker genius and has qualified for a million dollar tournament/cruise thing!
- Every time I bring a girl to one of Brendon Small's shows they develop a crush on him :p
- Pushy guys don't believe that I'm married and it's annoying.
- Emergency contraception doesn't give me nausea ;)
- I have new red and white polka-dot 40's style pumps!
- I got to teach someone how to love Disneyland the way I do at Bat's Day this year, and it was beautiful.
- Pirate Faire is coming again - hooray!!
- I finally made it out to a club again and got in a few pics, and I am the red tattooed, neopolitan-haired one in desperate need of a root touch up and more interesting makeup =P | | comments: 23 comments or Leave a comment |
| I just can't seem to stop thinking about, reading about, watching and listening about New Orleans and this whole mess. Half of me and Donny's conversations right now is about all this stuff too. Absolutely insane.
Last night I had an amusingly non-subtle dream that I was trapped in a dome-shaped capsule with President Bush, Laura Bush (she's waaaaay too good for him), my dad, and a few other people, and we were all up against the walls of it as it began filling completely with water. Somehow the dome kept knocking around all over the place, shifting the water enough to breathe, and finally busting open near a freeway. That was about it.
The more I learn and think about this situation there's absolutely way too much to say, so I'm not gonna try to say it all, but I do look forward to there hopefully being enormous changes in several facets of the government and the way things are done in America.
Other than that... got back logs of personal stuff to post up here (fun and otherwise) so hopefully I'll get to make time for that soon, and HOORAY for Stephen Colbert on Letterman! Nice to actually hear him talk about some stuff that hasn't been dragged out and repeated hundreds of times in other interviews and articles. Totally holding on to the hope that Dino will come through and I'll get to meet Mr. Colbert some day and make my request to curl up on his lap like a kitten :) | | comments: 12 comments or Leave a comment |
| I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if New Orleans were to get destroyed (for, like, the 3rd time) I would be an absolute wreck. I prayed for that city when I went to bed last night and had to force away the tears that started so that I could get some much needed sleep. So weird. Never loved any place the way I love New Orleans. Thank God it survived!!
(And oddly I hate most of Bourbon street with a passion. Go fig.)
Also just found out today that that my dad and grandfather were in the French Quarter when the hurricane started! WTF?!! They're ok, so double thankie-Goddies.
So any "Six Feet Under" fans on my f-list? I wanted to write about this earlier this week but I just gotta say, never cried that hard or been that emotional about the goings-on of a movie or TV show ever, ever, EVER!!! Most people already agree that the series finale for it was the best for any TV show ever and will probably never be topped. Even Donny who hasn't shed a single tear for 5 years ("Dancer in the Dark" of course) shed one for this. We literally could barely hold ourselves upright that night. Even a couple days after when one of us would just briefly think of something in that episode we'd INSTANTLY crumble emotionally and had to keep fighting it away.
Fucking awesome.
And to round off the emotional rollercoaster, not only did I miss being in the last Velvet Hammer Burlesque show, I even missed seeing it. Regret ahoy. It wasn't a sabotage thing either; due to one of the most insane work weeks I've had at this job I just couldn't pull it off. And of course I later heard about how spectacular it was. People saying it was overall the best VH show they'd ever seen, totally spectacular, what a way to go out, so blown away, totally breath-taking, how everyone was at the after party, how incredibly emotional it was for everyone...
Ouch.
I console myself with the fact that I was ever a part of this amazing show at all and that I managed to successfully perform my main act before the chance was gone, and with the knowledge that several of those people will still be a part of my life. It hurts, but there are too many blessings in there to let myself dwell only on a missed opportunity. SIGH!!!
"You can't take a picture of this, it's already gone"
- Nate Fisher's ghost in Claire's brain, Six Feet Under | | comments: 11 comments or Leave a comment |
| Apparently I officially had an anxiety attack last night. For anybody who knows me I'm sure that comes as no surprise.
Then this morning, after not the most peaceful sleep ever, I still had the chest pains and tingling limbs and the fear and the hyperventilating, yadda yadda, (not nearly as intense as the night before but still bad) and so instead of making it to Temple Donny took me to the ER. It takes alot for me to actually allow that kind of a hospital visit to happen, so that seemed... relevant. Plus I'd been having concerns about my heart for a long time so I was really curious to find out what's up. Fortunately I'm physically fine, but I learned that those bad heart feelings I have semi-frequently have been palpitations.
When the doctor (Dr. Settle actually - how perfect is that?!) explained what had happened to me and gave it the "anxiety" name he went on to express how common it is and if he had a nickel for every young woman who came in with that... So much for feeling special about it! =P
I'll spare furthur details for now (especially regarding all the crap we think triggered it), but for anybody who I haven't finished replying back to on some stuff or who I meant to email, it's gonna take a little longer... We're heading down for some Orange County fun for the weekend, and hopefully when I get back I'll feel ready to deal with the 2nd week in a row of way too much work and a fatty to-do list and all the other issues that come with being good ol' me!
Also, I'd like to give a shout out to our cat Zaphod who I am CONVICED understood what was going on with me and adapted *perfectly* and was extra sweet and didn't do any of that stuff he knows I find obnoxious, and was just a soothing force during my gradual come-down. Love you, Zay! | | comments: 7 comments or Leave a comment |
| Ok, so this is me (Hate the way that background effect turned out. Blech!)
And so is this (With extra boobies!)
And then this is me too (Pre getting alot better at photoshop. *Sigh*)
And this is also me, minus some of that pesky clothing.
So after doing the first painting the artist *did* get in touch with me which was cool, and - exremely flattered - I praised his work and asked him to please credit the site (which he said he would but I don't see anywhere that that's evident), and then shortly after I checked out his website and discovered that the original painting went up on ebay for about $300-$400, and that he's selling who knows how many prints off his site.
Then the semi-nude one was discovered, which is currently on ebay as well. Maybe it should've bothered me more, but it was pretty tastefully done, and as an occassional (cleverly covered!) nude model and wearer of pasties in public theatres I don't have much room to be offended. Would've been nice to have some warning though...
I know my image has been used by lots of other artists too, and that's great, but never by someone who'll make a minimun of hundreds of dollars off of me that I'm aware of. Unlike other people he bases his work off of like Traci Lords and Jessica Alba - oh gorgeous possessors of fame and fortune - I could use the credit and compensation. But really it's just nice to be asked, "Hey, I'm gonna pay a few bills off of your eccentric, expensive hobby. You down wit dat?!!"
I'm gonna write him again soon, so we'll see what happens. As far as I know (especially since he changed the images enough) he may be perfectly within his rights to say "Screw you! All profits is for Jeff!", but we're gonna check on it, and either way I figure I oughtta at least get a print or two out of the deal =/ | | comments: 17 comments or Leave a comment |
| I can't believe how badly I'm trying to sabotage my ability to be in the next Velvet Hammer show. It sickens me.
I mean, some of my reasons are legitimate, but still...
I've been asked to repeat my clowny strip, and 30% of the time I'm totally into it and ready to perform, but the rest of the time the thought of getting up on stage again just kinda paralyzes me and I have no valid reason for it. I should be stoked too cause not only was last time a blast, but I'm always whining about debuting acts and never getting to settle in and repeat a comfortable older act... Dammit.
I often find myself getting jealous of the film and TV actors' ability to officially rehearse over and over, and then to get to do take after take in front of just a crew who couldn't care less, and then to get edited favorably - all that good stuff. Stuff I want to eventually do more of (Ha! "more"), but already anticipate the fear of auditions and stuff. Dammit again.
I really need to get over this shit.
I've got this unrelenting desire to perform that's constantly battling my unrelenting capacity to be an anxious, neurotic, complacent, whining poop head about it! I pray the better side wins and fast. This mess has got to end so my energy can be about living up to whatever my potential is and actually enjoying it.
And I just realized I'm gonna be 27 really freaking soon. I was just barely getting over the shock of turning 26!!! See? No time to waste on uselessly hampering emotions! Grr! I WILL BEAT THIS THING!!!
But maybe not in time for the next show =P I've got alot of *cough* work to do and stuff...
BUT MAYBE!! This has been kind of therapeutic, so 'tis possible. | | comments: 19 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Joy Division | | Subject: | What a week!! | | Time: | 07:22 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/blank.gif) restless |
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| Within seven days I've had a rather interesting go of things...
TUESDAY (last): Went to a free taping of some comedy talk show hosted by Byron Allen. A couple of the guests were Kim Coles and Tommy Davidson (who was pretty freaking hilarious), so that was kinda cool.
THURSDAY: Drove up to beautiful Big Sur on Wednesday night (with no shortage of puking on Donny's part from driving on those winding roads in the dark - poor baby) because Thursday we were going to the vow renewal/family-and-friends wedding ceremony for Donny's stepsister. It was a trip! I met all this extended family I have through marriage, including my new step-in-law-in-laws from Estonia (yes, just like in "Encino Man"), and just found myself surrealy thrust mid-week into a situation where I'm standing surrounded by gorgeous woods and decorating a wall with balloons with Donny, my father-in-law, and my Estonian step-sister-in-law's-mother-in-law. And to think I don't even have siblings!
But one of the BEST parts of the trip was where we stayed. Oh sweet Jesus. It was this adorable commune type thing built in the 1930's, nestled in the woods and designed for the active acquisition of peace. Usually I don't sleep well my first night in a strange place, but not only did I have a great sleep, but all morning I just had all these beautiful peaceful thoughts about everything like I was on X or something! Later Donny and I got to explore the grounds (and this other area of woods where we ran around like crazed city-folk all hopped up on nature - even peed outdoors!), and just had a generally good time. And got to be more comfortable around my in-laws and ate very well ^_^
And then I came home to find that Brendon Small (one of my cartoon hero guys and an awesome comedian) wrote me back and is into hanging out some time! SWEET!!
FRIDAY: Joined some friends for some good, good nighttime beach fun! A marvelous way to kick off the weekend =) And the waves were all glowy!
SATURDAY: Finally made it to Temple after, like, 9 weeks! Then later on we had dinner with Regan and our new friend Dino who she dom(inatrix)s for. Now, Dino was the reason we got to meet a bunch of awesome people from Adult Swim! Oh, crap - I still haven't posted all about Comic-Con, have I? I am lame. Well anyhoo, he used to write for "Mr. Show" and stuff, and now he's got a new show all his own called "Moral Orel" that's gonna be premiering on Adult Swim pretty soon! He's also become the de facto host of that great comedy show we've been going to on Saturday nights. Well, that Saturday he missed it and instead we all hung out and hot tubbed. Quite the pleasant evening, although I felt bad for the guys at the show and really hope it worked out =/
SUNDAY: Oy. Well first we attempted to go to Disneyland only to realize at the parking structure that it was a blockout day for all annual passes! AAAARAAARRRRGGUUUHHHH!!!!! I'd been SOOO looking forward to it and fiending for Disneyland for weeks! Unbelievable. So then we decided to go to the OC comic book shop that we did a gig for about a year ago and who still owed me about $100 worth of comic books, only to find that they went out of business >_< Moreso unbelievable. Plus I feel bad for the owner guy and his people; they were so nice!
So instead we did a little shopping and finally headed for the main reason we were in Orange County that day: THE CIRCUS!!!
We got much better seats this time and it was a fantastic show! And I wanted the entire circus wardrobe so badly!!!
Then we headed home to wallow in some good ol' "Six Feet Under" misery =P
MONDAY: Went to the laundromat and did 5 loads, and as is semi-normal one of the unfortunately unbalanced types stumbled in, but this guy was much more drooly, sweaty, flaily, gibberish-yellingy, soda machine-beaty, wallow-on-floory than usual, and one guy called the cops right away (came quick too!) and after about half an hour the ambulance finally carried him out bound up on a gurney.
I really want my own washer and dryer...
TUESDAY: Dino had invited us to go check out the studio where "Moral Orel" is getting made! By the way, this show is looking awesome and is definitely gonna be a great addition to the AS lineup. Glad too cause it'd be really awkward to talk to him about it if it sucked :p
Anyhoo, as we were walking in we realized that that guy in the parking lot was ::dun duh nuh NUUUH!!:: SETH GREEN!
We met him *very* briefly at a party at Comic-Con, but we just decided to keep mellow like good little Angelinos and went inside.
We had an awesome time checking out all the cute little sets and talking to the stop-motion animators, when we happen to come across Mila Kunis and Macauly Culkin 0_0 Oh yes.
They both brought dogs in and Mila was just preoccupied with making sure no one touched one of the dogs lest it go completely nuts or something, but then Seth came up too and actually struck a nice little conversation with us. HE WAS SOOO NICE!!! He even told us we should stop by again when they start filming "Robot Chicken" there. Shall I type the word "awesome" once more? I think I shall.
So now we're just about to watch the new "Reno 911" and decide whether or not to go to this bar thing that the folks from the studio are going to tonight. Dino's not going so it could feel awkward, but it might be really great too! Just don't know...
But what I do know is that I continue to enjoy my life ^_^
P.S. for my TDS peeps:
Just discovered that Dino wrote for "The Dana Carvey Show", also known as the show that Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell wrote for and were on too! Holy crap!! Gonna have to chat with him about that...
Life just loves teasing me with this one-degree-of-separation stuff =P | | comments: 14 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | New Order (surprised?!!) | | Subject: | What a show!!! | | Time: | 07:23 pm | | Current Mood: | lazy |
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| So, in spite of months of scattered yet difficult preparation, weeks of anxiety, and leaving the stage feeling disappointed with my performance, this past Velvet Hammer show was a blast. A definite high point in my burlesque "career" thus far.
First getting to see all those fabulous, talented folks I hadn't seen in months was really wonderful, and meeting new ones was equally fun. And I gotta say I absolutely love the backstage process of putting on a show like this. Call me crazy (yeah, yeah) but I love being crowded in an old, old dressing room with inevitably fun, interesting, talented, charismatic people in various states of dress/undress in an absurd medley of costumes, drinking, smoking, constantly talking, practicing snippets of our acts, peeking at other acts from behind the curtain when we get the chance, helping each other out, all getting remarkably glamorous-looking in the most unglamorous of circumstances, and probably looking like a mirror image of performers of our kind from decades ago and decades before that. Total wonderland.
But on to my act! By the grace of God I hadn't been nervous pretty much the whole day, but then as the acts finally began to count down to mine I began to feel more and more constricted till it was finally time to just do it. I go out juggling and, just as I had requested to *not* happen during the run through, I get a blinding light in front of me totally disabling my ability to juggle. Thus I didn't get to juggle as long as I'd meant nor to do my trick, but fortunately I was about at the point where I was supposed to drop anyway so it got played off alright. The act continued on going fine (with pretty incredible audience reaction the whole way through which is SUCH a precious, priceless thing), and then I slightly botched a dance move which really bugged me, but at least I hadn't slipped on the confetti from the act before me. It progresses on pretty nicely, then Mitchel came out to spray me with the silly string and I felt like I was a fly in a freaking spider web! It was in my face, wrapped around my legs, dripping off my arms... for a split second I feared not being able to move! But I could and it worked out pretty good. Gave the M.C. a nice "clown bukkake" joke too. Then after that there was one little slip (which stayed little, thank God), and it was all quickly over.
I went backstage answering queries of how it went with lots of "I fucked up so many things...", until shortly after one of the girls who'd gone into the audience after her act came up with her face full of awe telling me how amazing she and one of the other girls thought it was. Oh, how I hugged her. Then more people who caught it were telling me how great it was, and Donny told me the same which meant alot cause he is not afraid to be brutally honest with me, and eventually Michelle (the VH momma and queen of the neo-burlesque movement, by gum!) came up and told me how fantastic she thought it was, which felt so totally splendid! Then even as I left there were lingering audience members and other VH gals who kept stopping me to tell me how great they thought it was too!! Oh my Lord, what a feeling. Even at the after party I got people telling me it was their favorite act, Michelle repeating her words of praise, and people even wondering what my influences had been and breaking down *why* they thought it was so good, etc. Just wow.
I really hope this doesn't sound like a big, bragging, jerk off of a post, but it was just so amazing to get all that and I need to get it out! For joy!! Plus I've gotta be the biggest amateur of everyone in that crew so... just wow.
And now I just have to wonder if I can pull off something that works that well again. Oh Lord >_<
Ooh! There were some other really fun plusses about the show too! Apparently we had Lily Tomlin, Marisa Tomei, and Margaret Cho in the audience (a few women I never expected to have see me that close to naked - or at all, for that matter), and there were a couple guys who did an act together, one of whom I'd seen on Mad TV the day before (Craig Anton - super funny guy) and the other who did the voice of a main character from one of my favorite cartoons (Ron Lynch aka Mr. Lynch from "Home Movies") and both of whom are in a great show at the Steve Allen Theatre with Brendon Small, another of my cartoon writer-creator heroes! (Who I have still only spoken to in snippets, but still neat-o)
Speaking of which, we went to see their show the next night (for the 2nd week in a row) and it was again wonderful and strange, and later I got to talk to Ron (hooray!), and it turned out that even though I'd been bummed to miss him at the VH show he'd recognized me from having caught my act from the side somewhere and said good things!
Man, I'm such a please-love-and-validate-me whore... At least I know it.
Anyway, it was just a great time and is already a great memory. Damn, I really need to try to do more shows than I do; listen to my green, green, clinging newbie excitement ~_~
BTW, thanks alot to the peeps who came out to see me. You rock! I used to fear it but I've learned it's great to have friends in the audience.
Alright, enough of my messy, overwrought wanking for now. Toodles!
(P.S. Photographic evidence to come eventually)
P.P.S./blatant plug - BTW, Velvet Hammer remains the best burlesque show I've ever seen with some of the best burlesque/vaudeville style acts I've ever seen, so if it ever returns after its "hiatus" and you get a chance to see it YOU MUST!!!
Has this been obnoxious enough for ya? ;p | | comments: 13 comments or Leave a comment |
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