Across The Universe

It's Saturday night, and we are watching a movie, called Across the Universe. From 2007, this is a Beatles rock musical taking place in the Vietnam Era. So far it is pretty freaking awesome. I thought the main actress was Chloe Sevigny and I thought, "Wow, she looks amazing...she is like 20 pounds thinner on that Big Love show about the polygamists. (too thin)" Turns out she looks so good because "she" is someone else. She is Evan Rachel Wood, of "Thirteen" fame...a movie I would highly recommend to anyone who has a daughter age eleven or older.

Had lunch with Sherry yesterday, my dear high school friend of 30 years.  Let's see...this is Sherry (on the right), me, and Janine P. from our 20 year high school reunion. Sherry has a teenage daughter not too much younger than Reid. Sherry was telling me how aggressive the teen girls have gotten with the boys...I mean romantically, sexually, etc. Seriously, I would recommend the movie "Thirteen." It was largely written by Nikki Reed, who you will recognize from the Twilight series of movies, though hideously died blonde. I've never understood that choice.

I don't know, I'm just sort of babbling while watching this movie. I had another awkward public restroom in a fast food joint moment (see Next Time, Check First 7/23/10). No keys were lost in gross places this time. I had been sitting around Captain D's waiting for my car at the mechanic's. So, I went to pee, because that is generally why I go to the restroom. It was a "one-stall-er" with the sad wall mounted sink with exposed pipes. I was bored waiting for my car to be done, and I got a text, so I answered. Then another, and another. I just sat there giggling and texting. Finally I got up and went out to wash my hands...when I discovered that unbeknownst to me another woman had come in and was waiting, listening to me giggle and text. OMG...so embarrassing. I lamely held up my phone and said in my most self-deprecating, oh-what-a-dork-I-am manner, "Ha Ha I was texting, sorry..." She gave me a mildly withering look. Oy vey, sometimes I just lose touch with reality!

Okay, wow, now Bono is channeling INXS deceased lead singer Micheal Hutchence with an odd rhyming string o'words. Which is weird because he just came up yesterday in conversation. And....now Eddie Izzard is doing an acid-fueled song with um...large blue people and giraffes.



I would say this is a really good movie, unless you don't like the Beatles. These two characters are loosely based on Janis Joplin and Jimmy Hendrix.

So, Sylace signing off. Peace, man.         (saunters off, singing Oh! Darlin...please believe me...)

A Chemistry Story

This semester all three of us are taking Chemistry. Meaning myself, Reid, and Guy. We had the thought that maybe we could all help each other. This should be good fodder for lots of posts. Hahahaha I'm laughing already. I should have been voted least likely to be trustworthy of chemicals. Firstly because I am incredibly sensitive to most chemicals, medicines, cleaners, etc. Secondly, because I seem to blithely forget that fact often. Today, yet another example lead to breathing difficulties and medical consultation. Officially brand me a nitwit. But maybe it was a little reminder to me that I need to be very careful in the lab.

Ok, my laptop screen is attracting flying insects. That is annoying. Shoo, Fly, don't bother me.

I'm finally finishing up my "Theater Wall" with show pictures, cast photos and publicity Lobby pictures from all the shows I was in, or Stage Managed, or Costumed. It is taking up two entire walls. I walk through that hall to get to my bedroom many times a day, and I see all my wonderful friends looking at me, and years of hard work and irreplaceable experiences. Who knew you could miss so many people so very much? Chemistry is a funny thing...you wouldn't think you could have such group chemistry with such a large and varied selection of folks. TV stars always seem to be bickering or talking snidely behind their castmates back. I just finished that bio of John Leguizamo I mentioned a few days ago, and I never knew how much he preferred theater to movies. Everything he said about the differences was so true. I would liken theater production to something like going though a battle together. You come out the other side changed, every time...and only your fellow participants understand.

Reid and I watched "Project X" on TV tonight. It was a movie made when Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt were very young, in which an adorable chimpanzee trained by HH is mistakenly sent to a secret and deadly Air Force test program. We enjoyed seeing it together. It reminded me of a concept that Guy introduced me to, the Monkeysphere. The idea that the human brain is actually only able to have close and semi-close relationships with a limited number of people. We can only really conceptualize of a certain number of folks as individuals, and then the rest are just "others" unless we focus on them personally. (Google that if you are interested in learning more.) And it is that concept that leads me to surprise that I was able to be so close with such a large group at RLT (www.rogerslittletheater.org). Especially when we all took on so many different personalities for shows. Just kidding.

I will be having some biochemistry. I'm not sure the boys will. So maybe I will learn more about all this brain and interpersonal chemistry stuff. I have a lot of years left, and a lot of things to achieve, but I will always miss those people, and hope to see them again. My uber-talented monkeysphere. I think I'll close with a couple of pictures from the hardest show, as a whole, that I ever costumed and worked backstage. It was "A Christmas Story," and it was produced for the 50th anniversary of the Daisy Air Gun company, whose museum sits right next to RLT in downtown Rogers, AR. What an effort it was for all involved, during the Christmas season no less. But I'm going to think of that while I struggle (or breeze, maybe?) through Chemistry. Because there is no way Chem is harder than what I did on that show. And no one shot their eye out...

Land of the Lost

well yes, apparently the Slestacks finally succeeded in their quest to steal my cell phone. I don't have a land line...what is this the Dark Ages? (land line hahahahaha) Chris Spence told me I should call ATT tomorrow and see if they can turn on the ringer remotely. It is on vibrate. Usually Frank is the cell phone advice King. I guess he is off in euphoric iPhone4 land. Probably smoking a hookah on top of a mushroom or something. Isn't that what goes on in iPhone4 land? You have to drink a potion or something, pass through a tiny apple shaped door, and there is Steve Jobs, invisible except for a large set of grinning teeth? Right? Looks pretty fun in there...

My black Versace sunglasses have finally made their way into the time warp as well. I'm sure the roaming T-Rex is looking fine in them. My kids used to make fun of me because there was a time period of a couple of years when if I lost something I'd always think someone took it or moved it. I realized they were right and I sounded ridiculous, so I started assuming I'd lost everything. But my Versaces were in my Jaguar on top of the emergency brake in their case when I went into the Target, and were not there when I came out (one...eternity...later...). Yes, I left the passenger side door open. It's okay. I had them for five years. That's about forty dollars a year. and they were out of style anyway. However, they would come back in...never get rid of handmade italian sunglasses. They will last forever, going in and out of style randomly. I hope it makes up for your tiny, useless arms, Mr. Rex.

Managed to finally replace Guy's AP Psychology test scores, which were...lost. Somewhere some primordial jungle denizen has set up shop as a psychologist, using Guy's test scores to hang on his wall. It's okay, his patients can't read anyway.

I've lost some other things yesterday and today, mental things, philosophical things, eine kleine nachtmusik (did I spell that right? Reid will whack me if I didn't).

There is a disturbing point sometimes, where I'm not sure if I'm Scarlet, "Tomorrow is another day..." or if I am Rhett, "Frankly, my Dear, I don't give a damn." Tara is looking pretty threadbare for receiving guests, but there's probably a parsnip or two in the field. Too esoteric, I suppose...

I really really did laugh all through Dinner for Schmucks tonight. It is so well done. Steve Carell can pull off what just might have been awful if acted by someone else. He's kinda like the Jerry Lewis of our generation, but not annoying. Paul Rudd does a fabulous straight man, and that guy from the Conchords is perfect. Oh...and the smarmy boss who plays Ashley Judd's husband in Double Jeopardy who frames her for his murder. He is always a smarmy guy!!

talk at you tomorrow. "you'll find that life, is still worthwhile...if you'll just smile."

Saturday night! Woo Hoo!

It's Saturday night. Connor is over visiting Reid. We are watching Man on Fire and eating peanut butter chocolate cookies. Okay...for those of you who didn't take to the chocolate cobbler....let's see what you think of these.

These are, like, the easiest things to make in the world. Not like peanut butter cookies are difficult.
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup white sugar (but hey, brown is fine if that's what you have)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla (I like to add a half teaspoon of cinnamon, but you don't have to)
also need 3 hershey bars, milk or dark
......mix ingredients together except for the chocolate bars. spread with fingers onto a baking sheet into a
rough rectangle shape. Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes. Top will slightly puff, and look dry/cooked.
Let cool on the counter for about two minutes. break the hershey bars into small squares and arrange on top of the cookies. They will melt in just a couple of minutes but retain their Hershey shape. Spread chocolate out with a spatula or knife. Eat warm, eat cool, try to get some before they all get eaten...hahaha. Pop in fridge if you need the chocolate to harden so you can cut and stack them. If you need them to be even prettier, put Reeses pieces in the melty chocolate. Or whatever you like!! Fun!

So Connor is on the Drumline with Reid. He plays the drumset. He reads this blog! So that goes to show that you can make the blog if you're lucky.  He's even going to get a picture!

At Connor's feet is Aero. (the other kid is Reid, you noticed, huh?)
Aero is a full blood-ed Caanan. She's a desert dog, and very smart. I'm really used to dumb dogs, or dogs smart enough to act dumb all the time so nothing is expected of them. I know soooo many people like that. Aero has her head on his foot, isn't that cute?
     So, one funny story. I have this doorstop that is black cast iron. It is in the shape of a scottie dog. Because it fits against the door, it is flat on one side. When Reid was maybe two and a half he decided to take a closer look at this doorstop he'd been seeing all his little life. He pulled it out and looked at the back and exclaimed, "hey, it's only half a dog!" This was really cute from a two year old. We still refer to it as the "half-dog."

Aero took a look at this doorstop and started growling. She was very unnerved by its presence. Aero clearly recognized it as a "dog." And that is pretty darn smart, because dogs generally don't recognize some silly half-caste (joke) terrier that smells like nothing but dust as a fellow dog. Having a dog around for a few days is a real treat. Goes well with the cookies!

Hey, full moon tomorrow. Let's see if anything unexpected happens.