8.25.2005

Two funny things.

Two funny things happened today that reaffirmed my faith in Comedy as almighty. The first one was that a guy fell asleep during our show tonight. He was sitting in the front row, had his arms crossed and his head was nodding. I had time to look closely because there's a part in the show where I sit in the dark, very still, for quite a while. So I watched him sleeping. I couldn't believe it. I was trying to figure out how to mention it subtly in my next scene. I couldn't figure out how to mention it subtly. I could only think of doing a puppet show with my hands where one hand is asleep in the audience and the other hand smacks him awake. Actually, that might have been funny. The thing that almost made me lose my shit and crack up in the dark on stage, was when there was a music cue at the end of a scene and it startled him awake. He jumped and for a second clearly could not tell where he was. Oh, man, it was aaawesome.

The second thing that happened was that this evening after the show I pulled up to my house in my broken old car and saw a group of teenagers coming towards me carrying a full sized, round trampoline. There were about six of them and they were trying not to hit the cars with the metal frame. I recognized the trampoline at belonging to my friends, and now neighbours, Steve and Aresh and Steve's son Liam. They recently moved across the street from me and they have a trampoline in the back yard. I followed the teenagers back to the house and Steve and Aresh were outside, waiting for them. Apparently the kids had stolen the trampoline and taken it to the nearby park to entertain themselves. They being East Van teens in the summertime. No money, what to do? But they were bringing it back. One of the kids claimed this was the third time they had stolen it and brought it back but they hadn't been caught before. I hope this is true. I love to think of teenagers on a summer night, stealing a trampoline, playing all night, and then putting it back. It has such a sweetness to it.

The really funny part to me is that that was not the first time I've seen a group of people carrying a trampoline down a street. Not even the same trampoline. I laughed when I realized how familiar the whole scene looked.

In between those two funny events I had sushi with my friend Dana. We ended up at a place called Yuji's on 4th Avenue. Big hungry after the show was done. Lucky us, this is some of the best sushi I've ever eaten. Oh, my God, so good. Tuna that melted like maple sugar in your mouth. Mmm mmmm.

Plus in between the first funny thing and the sushi there was a whole show in which I was really funny tonight. The review in the Province said a nice thing about me yesterday, and while I think it's probably better not to get too excited about things like that or else when they start saying bad stuff it'll suck. But. I can't help it. It was a nice little whisper in my ear.

So today was a good day. Broken car and all. I borrowed my friend Jy's car today for work and figured out all by myself how to turn off the sub woofer. Big stereo. I listened to the Beastie Boys all day. Also good.

I'm going to sleep before something goes horribly awry.

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8.23.2005

Profundity unmasked.

I'll tell ya this much. This is the last damned time I feel like dealing with the f***ing car breaking down. &%$/#!! If you see what I'm saying. I gotta get a job that doesn't require I have a car. This is retarded. I can't work if the car is broken, but I can't pay for the car to get fixed if I can't work. Etc. Same old story.

Huh, I just got off the phone with my friend Jy, who also happens to deliver flowers on the days when I don't, and he very kindly offered me his car for tomorrow so I don't have to miss a day of work. That was very nice and helpful and makes me feel not so much like I have too much on my plate to deal with all on my own with my tiny brain and neurotic heart.

So I gotta figure out a job that doesn't require the car so much. Maybe something close by me, over here on Commercial Drive. A coffee shop, I don't know. Ich, the very idea makes my skin crawl. There has to be something not customer service oriented. I don't have the chops for the servitude any more. Three days a week in the flower shop? I'll talk to them tomorrow. Plus the car insurance is up next month, and it didn't pass air care last time, so if it doesn't pass this time, I don't know if I can just get the temp insurance again.

Ramble ramble.

So I'm in this show. It's pretty funny, my part is definitely funny, and it has been useful to me at least to learn that I get waaaaaaay more out of performing standup than I do out of performing in a silly wee show that I have no personal stake in. Of course I can be funny. I know I'm funny. It makes me remember that the challenge to me is really the writing. The crafting of the material. That's a good thing to be reminded of.

Next time I fall in love it's going to be with someone available. This is my sworn oath. Last emotionally unavailable stop has past, we're into bucolic splendour on the train trip of love. Ha. Fall in love again. As if.

I'm calling my therapist now. I need some serious couch time of the helpful sort. Actually, I could use some serious couch time of the lounging sort, as well. Well, more beach time than couch time.

Hm, I'm going to try to eat something that isn't chocolate now. Not cake, not truffles, not brownies, not gelato, not a slurpee, whatever. A sandwich, or something. Good luck to me, I guess.

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8.13.2005

Me funny.

I am sorry you lot missed the show I did last night. Very very good set. Complete with a grouchy heckler that I totally dealt with. Very proud moment there. Interesting setting for a comedy show. We were in an elementary school in New Westminster. There was also a death metal band. They were good for flirting with during my set. Seems we raised some money for breast cancer research, so I feel good about that, too. Was giddy.

Hm. That's all for now. Off to rehearse these crazy plays. I love my character, she is so dumb and so funny. You should come see these shows. They are fluffy, but fun. Like, this isn't how I'm going to change the world, but it makes me happy, which makes it more likely that I will continue my efforts to change the world.

I like things right now. I like working in theatre. I like comedy. I like improv. I like that someone text messaged me to tell me that they saw me on tv last night. I had no idea I was on tv last night. I think it must have been highlights from the Under the Volcano festival last week. I was emceeing and, if I recall, there were cameras there the whole time.

Argh...just getting going but am going to be late. More soon, I promise. Promises promises.

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8.08.2005

Swimming.

I would just like to take a moment and say that I'm sorry if I am not writing much lately. I have been very interested in just being in my experiences. I think I needed time to refill the well. To just take a lot in. And some time without being funny. Plus, the weather has been amazing and one has to take advantage of such things. So I have. I went to visit my friend who lives in the Pemberton Valley for two nights. I forgot how much I like to go on long drives in the country, to get somewhere pretty and quiet. He lives in a quiet spot in the mountains with several lakes in the immediate vicinity. On Thursday we went to TWO lakes. It was lovely and refreshing and I spent hours in the water. I feel oddly like I had a whole summer vacation in one day. We went to a beautiful farm near Mt. Currie called North Arm Farm. They sell all manner of farmy goods, fruit, veggies, meat, eggs, berries, flowers, honey, jams, pies....you get the idea. It was a magical spot, to be sure. I walked in the U-pick flower garden and was filled with the quiet and the beauty. I was in a field of flowers, in the beating sunshine, in the breeze, ringed by mountains. This is a moment I will hold in my heart. For the sheer peacefulness of it. It is a struggle sometimes for me to find enough peaceful moments. So they are precious.

I came home Saturday afternoon and some friends were here from Seattle, so we napped and ate and walked around. They watched the fireworks, which I cannot stand due to the crowds, so I came home and waited for them. It's not the sitting watching crowds that get to me so much, but the leaving crowds. I can't stand walking so slowly because I am hemmed in. I get trapped and angry, so it's better if I just avoid the situation altogether. I am starting to think that the way to deal with neuroses is just to accept them and do what you can to avoid triggering anxiety and upsetness. So I'll keep the large crowds in my life where they belong. In chairs facing the stage I'm on. Give me an orchestra pit between us and I can handle any number of people. Especially if I can exit the back way.

Speaking of crowds and me, I spent all day yesterday emceeing the Under the Volcano festival at Cates Park in North Vancouver. It was a lovely day, and a great festival. I set up my blanket in the shade of a giant tree behind the mainstage, and read my book and wandered out front for a couple of the bands, and every hour or so got up on stage and introduced another act, and made lost child and illegally parked car announcements. It was great. I kept the chatter to a minimum but managed to get a couple of laughs. I liked it a lot. Plus paid me. I still get giddy about getting paid for gigs.

I'm going to learn my lines now, as I am supposed to be off book tonight. I'm very excited about these shows, my part is hilarious. I love being in a show where I get to be funny. Have I mentioned before how much I love being funny?

On top of the other good things, time at the lake, doing shows, I am staying at my stepmother's for a few days while she is away. It is also like a mini vacation because the house is so beautiful and quiet and the bed is so comfortable, and oddly comforting even though it is the bed where my dad died. I feel so tucked in in that room. And peaceful. My little brother is around, too, because his apartment is such a cave and he feels better when he gets to stay somewhere where there is light. Not to mention a nice car he can use. I'm sure that staying here does many things for both of us, including make us sad, but also make us calm. We like to be around each other, and it is good to be around our dad's things. Though they are slowly, slowly morphing into something else. Into a different life, a different chapter. It is an interesting evolution, the evolution of grief. I don't entirely know where I am in the process, so I think I'll see my therapist again a few times when the Fringe Festival is over. I think I need a tune up.

Okay, you lovelies. I hope everyone is getting their lake time.

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8.02.2005

Swish, swish.

I have had two very lovely and relaxing days in a row. I am in a very contented mood. I just wanted you to know that before I went to sleep. I have stayed up much too late tonight....much too late. And for very adolescent reasons. Mmmm, I like summer.

I was in such a good mood last night walking home down Commercial Drive from the skytrain, (yes, I rode transit all day yesterday, it was sooooo much better than being in my car plus I could have beer), that no less than three guys, total strangers, tried to pick me up. Like, tried really hard. Turned around and started walking the wrong way just to walk with me. Toothless drunks, mostly, but still. Why do toothless drunks love me so much?

Maybe it's because I look them right in the eye and smile. I am everybody's friend when I am happy. Plus, I think I swagger like nobody's business. I feel like it's been a while since I had such a sashay in my walk. I am feeling hot hot hot.

Lookit this:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/peekaboo/776787.html?view=3709011#t3709011

And this:

www.thearistocrats.com

You, as usual, will have to cut and paste. One of these days those bastards at Blogger are going to answer my damn questions about making the links live. Bastards!! Anonymous knows a lot about everything, maybe Anonymous can help solve this problem.

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