Update

Not so much on me, really, but on some things in my life. I looked in my archives and I didn't post about my new year's resolution to not be stupid anymore (I know, I know, the flogging will continue until blogging becomes a higher priority), but I wanted to let you know about the progress of this resolution. It is not going well. I would like to say that my overall stupidness has gone down, and that stupidity has been cropping up in my life (work, specifically) less often, which, though debatable, seems true to me. However, that could be because I don't remember much about the last three months, mistakes made by me in the hullaballoo could have been attributed to someone else, or that stress, paranoia and busyness have some how cut down on the stupid factor. But I learned today that the goal for me to not be stupid was most likely laughable in the first place, which is what people are probably already doing behind my back.

Why? Well, today I was getting ready to make copies of a series of bonds. They are printed on special green paper that costs a ridiculous amount of money and once they are printed, they pretty much represent the amount of the bond, which is over a million dollars in some cases. Anyway, once they are printed and signed, they are sacred. We make a copy of the bonds on regular paper before we deliver them and then stamp the copy with a stamp that says "specimen", then make copies of the stamped copy. I have done this process at least 20 times, probably more. Then today, I was asked to make a copy of a series bond, which just breaks the total amount of money into yearly bonds and basically means more green paper and more signing and more work. So I start stamping "specimen" on the amount and the signatures, only to have my boss ask what on earth I was doing. Why? because I was stamping the green papers. So bad. So stupid. Luckily, it wasn't unfixable. Because there were lots of signature pages, I could copy one from another bond onto the green paper to replace it, print off another copy of the front page, and have the bank representative sign another copy of his signature page. So, no real damage done, luckily for me, but I did feel (and look, I'm sure) really stupid. Why can't I just give it up?!! Why?!!

And the other update, this sign was finally changed in February as I learned driving to my play on a Saturday morning. However, it has not been changed since then, and it's another lame one. In case you were wondering.

Stress!!

So the last few weeks have been like this:

because we have been more short-staffed than usual the past month and a half. One of our assistants was fired, and then when we finally hire a new one, one of our paralegals quits and then the new assistant decides to take a job elsewhere.

So we've been walking around like this:

And it means I haven't had to time for the little, yet important things like updating my blog, getting over my cold, cleaning my house, relaxing, you know, the little things.

But I haven't forgotten about you, I'm just a little crazy right now.

Got to go, work calls . . .

Don't I have the best costumes?

Yes it's true, the best thing (maybe the only good thing) about Lina Lamont is her fabulous taste in clothes. And thanks to a costumer who has done this show several times, I got wear some amazing costumes. I started out the show in this one:
(This is me about to get a pie in my face, oh so many funny stage stories came out of that scene. One night she missed most of my face, but got my feather pretty good. It was still wet when I got there the next night for the show. Good thing I hate whipped cream.)



but with the fur in this picture:












This is what I wore for all of the 'film' sequences. Those hips are ginormous. In fact, though I know pitching in changing scenery and drops is an essential part of community theater, I couldn't really help for most of the show because I was either frantically changing my costume, or in these ridiculous hips. My job in the hips was to not knock anything over back stage. So I got to be my own prop and set piece during scene changes.









This one is my second favorite costume. I loved the way it hung on me and how it felt, but sadly, I only got to wear it for like half a scene. This is the scene with my vocal coach, Miss Dinsmore.








This is me incognito. The sun glasses rocked, but I couldn't see anything when the lights went out. I almost ran into various drops and set pieces or people every night before I got smart and took them off. I guess the blond hair started affecting me.












Then comes act II, where I discovered my voice-over was being done by my arch-enemy. You can't really see it in this picture, but the coat was pretty much the coolest thing ever. The arms of the coat aren't really distinguished from the main body of the coat until about the wrists. That made flailing my arms about really fun.












This is what is underneath the fabulous coat. I changed into a robe, so I was only wearing it alone for like 30 seconds, in which time my DH snapped this picture. However, it was pretty disturbing one night after the show when this old guy (like 70's) told me my 'form-fitting pink dress' was his favorite of my costumes. It took me a minute to realize he meant this, then I was really weirded out.












Then I got a scene all to myself that isn't in the movie that had a solo, yes, a Lina song. It was fabulous, though, to be honest, not my favorite song in the whole show. Strangely, for some cast members, it was. (Come on people, better than "Good Morning"?)



Oh, and I'm not really that blond, it was a wig.












This is the "people? people? I ain't people!" scene. The (sadly indistinguishable in this picture) hat I am wearing, was by far the coolest hat I have ever had the privilege of wearing. It made this last minute costume change addition (dress rehearsal, I believe) totally worth it.












And then, my favorite costume of them all. This green one. It weighs like 10 lbs. It was really heavy, but it had the most delightful swish and flounce. It really made one feel like a diva. I think it was the fringe . . .


(This is of course, me mouthing the song in front of the curtain while Kathy voices for me off-stage. Or as I liked to call this scene, the rise and fall of Lina Lamont.)








And lastly, the cast. They were so much fun to work with. This is with all our "Singin'" garb on from the finale.









So, I definitely had the best costumes, don't you agree?

Happy Second Day of Spring

Well, it was a rude awakening to snow on the ground (and falling from the sky) yesterday morning, the official first day of spring.

No, not that spring, silly. This spring:

Though, to be honest, it looked more like this where I live: Woohoo! more snow. Just what we need when we've had nothing but snow since December. Yeah, can you tell I'm a little done with winter? Well, I don't want to become a pessimist, so I thought with the end of winter I would make a list of the things I find enjoyable about the winter season. Because nothing makes you more nostalgic than the end of something you didn't really enjoy in the first place (i.e. childhood).

What I like about winter:

Dressing in ridiculous amounts of layers

Cute sweaters

Snuggling under blankets

Long hot showers

Having 7 blankets on my bed

Sleeping late in the morning because it is much warmer under the covers than in the room

Fireplaces

Reading a book when it's snowing outside

Hot chocolate

Soup

The way a big blanket of snow mutes the outside world

When everything looks like a Christmas card

Squishy snow

Crunchy snow

Snow angels

Little kids in big fluffy snowsuits

My diva coat (it only comes out when it snows)

How my car feels like a cave when snow covers the windows

Heaters

Boots

How everyone's yards look good snow covered (do dead grass eye sores)

Stews

Not having to worry about the lack of air conditioning in my car

Walking into a building after being outside

Happy Spring everyone!

Name Tag

Because I'm still working out some other posts, and I don't want to throw too many pictures at you at once, enjoy this tagged name game in the mean time.

THE NAME GAME

1 . YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) - Jordan Geo or Jordan Traker, either one sounds pretty good.
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Peppermint chocolate chip
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of last name) t-pec
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) pink llama (I think this sounds more like your villian/thief name in an old radio detective story.)
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) No, no sillies, it's your middle name and the street you live on. I'm Jayne Van Ross.
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) pecta
7.SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Blue Water
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Charles Horace
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Oh, I got an email with a much better system involving the third letter of your first name and the third and second letters of your last name. According to this system I am Sugar Heaven Tower
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Gentry Owen
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 6th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Young Yamoussoukro (capital city of Cote D'Ivoire)
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Thanksgiving Lily
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now+“ie”) Strawberry Skirtie
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Bagel Redwood
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Reading Rain Tour
16. YOUR CELEBRITY COUPLE NAME: (half of your name, half your significant other's name, mixed together in whichever order sounds best.) Tahnny

10 Years Ago: I was 13 and was starting what would be a 10+ year awkward phase.
5 jobs I have had: Albertson's sample lady, Alpha Graphics temp, Resident Assistant, Runner, Legal Assistant
What I would do if I became a billionaire: Live in several foreign countries, not at the same time, get 12+ graduate degrees, start my own business(es).
Bad habits: feeling guilty about things, procrastination, laziness
Things I enjoy: Reading, acting, singing, finishing a project, hosting dinner parties.

Home Remodeling

First of all, let me apologize for not posting in so long. I know how frustrated I get when I go to my favorite blogs and they haven't posted anything new in over a month, or a week, in some cases. (I know that somewhat assumes this is someones favorite blog, but don't worry, I have no such delusions.) Let me explain a little of what happened. I was in a show all last month, which kept my nights pretty much occupied. When that closed, I suddenly became crazy busy (probably all the stuff I kept shoving to the back burners during the show), then we fired one of the legal assistants at work. We were already short staffed due to new baby (congrats Carrie!) so everyone's been putting in ridiculous hours and all I want to do when I get home is crash. So as penance for my slothfulness, I bring you ... pictures!! Lots of pictures for the next few posts, I hope. But to start, my home remodeling. I have been repeatedly asked (yes Erin, I hear you) for pictures of the latest goings on in my house. So here you go. First: here's what the house looked like before we moved in.


The first thing to go was the carpet. As seen here:


Now, if you look closely, you can see the lovely window coverings (window boxes with pleated peach curtains) and the great paint job on the back wall. That darker section by the mirror is where bookshelves used to be that just didn't get moved before the last paint job. But before we tackled that mess, we decided to help the ceiling. Not only was there lovely faux wood paneling in the house:

But also a popcorn ceiling:

Pardon my mess. So we took down the lovely curtains:









And scraped off the ceiling, which went very smoothly thanks to some helpful advice from my bro and sis in Seattle who had also dealt with the mess of the popcorn (thanks guys!).
And underneath we found sky blue ceilings and spring green walls and all the settling and poor taping of the sheet rock, which the hope of concealing probably led to the idea of putting up popcorn in the first place. So after fixing what we could, we decided white would be too unforgiving to paint it, and we were done with texture at this point, so we went with lavender. It was a good choice. I really like it. You can kind of seen it in this next picture which is after we took down the faux wood and had to rebuild the wall since the wood paneling was glued to the untaped and unmudded dry wall. Oh and also, this wall, which creates a hallway in the house, is not actually attached to either of the two walls it connects to. Awesome.

So we rebuilt the wall. Then primed everything. Here's Johnny by his handy work.

Then finally, we painted the walls. We did white in this room and on the wall with the mirror a few pictures back, and on wall with the fireplace ...

Green!






I think the is best green known to man. Every light I see it in, it continues to make me happy. It's a very cheery green and adds some nice color to the house. There is still more to do. Lots more, but I will try to be better with the pictures from now on. Also I apologize if this takes forever to load. I wasn't sure what size the pictures were when I posted them.

Blond!

So I had to go blond for my show. And I was asked for some pictures, so here you go. First, the before picture.
Then I got blond highlights, hoping the director would just let it go at that. Also, you can see how much my hair grew in just a few months.


Finally, I had to get bleach blond curls to pull off the diva, ditzy look they were going for. Here's me all dolled up for the show. I think it was worth it to have a middle stage, just to ease into the blond thing. It is a pretty drastic change. And although you can't really see it in the second picture, I am more blond.


And I will say, the show was super fun, so maybe it's true that blonds have a better time than the rest of us. (Still think of myself as a brunette.)