Showing posts with label Blog Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog Stuff. Show all posts
Makeover!
Welcome, friends, to the new and improved Little Ms. Bossy! It was time for a new look, so of course I contacted the fabulous Carolyn to help me out. I'm so pleased with what she's made—it's exactly what I was looking for. You like?
First day of school
Today was my first day back at work after summer vacation. I felt grumpy and tired this morning, wishing I could be out in the gorgeous weather or off on a train with CM visiting friends at Wolf Trap. It can be hard to get back into the swing of things after a long time away. I haven't been here since March, and I even found myself having to think twice about which elevator to take to get where I wanted to go (yes, it's my 5th season and I still sometimes get lost in the maze).
But then…reality check. I am so damn lucky to do what I do, and in this theater of all places. Any day that starts with this walk into work can't be too bad.
I think mostly I was crabby because CM and I spent our first night apart in TWO MONTHS last night. I know, I know, we're apart all the time, but it never gets any easier. Thank goodness he gets back tonight—maybe he'll bring me back a better attitude.
Tomorrow I'll share with you my first Sunday in New York. It's a good one!
Photo by LMB
A funny thing happened in Bath
I had been in the UK for a week when CM arrived, conveniently at the same time that I had a few days off for the Queen's Jubilee, so we met up in Cardiff for performances of Tristan and Bohème and then took our time getting back to Glyndebourne, stopping in Bath for a night.
The constant rain let up for just long enough for us to see the sights of Bath. First we walked to the Royal Crescent:
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Then we checked out the Roman Baths (when in Bath…):
We had just arrived at the Baths and were adjusting our audio guide thingies when… we ran into someone we knew! One of about FOUR people we know in the entire country, I should point out, a lighting designer friend that I've only ever seen in the States. It was crazy! This kind of thing happens in New York all the time, of course, particularly near Lincoln Center where I usually hang out, but in Bath, England? Amazing.
Have you ever run into someone you knew in a completely unexpected place? I love it when it happens—it feels like capital-F Fate.
Then we topped off the day with a swing by Stonehenge, which was smaller than I remembered it from my childhood, but still pretty damn cool (and isn't that sky incredible?!):
All photos by LMB
Happy summer!
I leave town for the summer in 4 days, and today I officially entered Panic Mode. I've been an errand-running, spreadsheet-making, house-organizing fool, trying to get everything done before I leave on Tuesday. Where am I going? Well, first I'm spending a month in St. Louis (I've never been—what's fun there?). I fly home the morning after the show opens and spend exactly EIGHT HOURS in Houston before getting on a plane to London. I'll spend a month at Glyndebourne (oh god, I'm so excited), and then CM and I will travel through Europe for another month after that (nothing's set in stone yet, but tentatively: Vienna, Tuscany, Aix-en-Provence, Munich, Bayreuth, Paris). It's all very exciting, but it sure makes for one hell of a To Do list.
Life is good, and full, and changing all the time. And I'm increasingly unsure of where this blog fits in. Used to be, if I spent the night in the penthouse suite of a swanky Manhattan hotel, or sat behind Anna Wintour at an event, say, or caught up with a dear friend I haven't seen in years, or got great news on the job front, I'd be dying to write about it here, to share it with you lovely people. I'm not sure why, but I no longer have that instinct.
So I'm signing off for the summer, at least I think I am. I'm taking time to regroup, to rethink my "extracurricular" activities, to focus on work and love and friendship. I'm not planning to spend much time on the internet, and I'm looking forward to seeing what I discover in the "real" world. Maybe I'll be back here in August, refreshed and re-inspired. Maybe I'll be off on a new adventure. I'll let you know.
I hope your summer is full of sunshine, and laughter, and truly free time.
xoxo LMB
Hello again
Soooo...you're not going to facebook OR blog now?!? What - are you trying some pioneer lifestyle? ;-p
I got this text from The Wise Soprano a few weeks back, followed by several concerned emails from other friends. So perhaps I should start by saying, everything's fine. Life is good. It turns out that the day I deactivated my Facebook account coincided with the last post I wrote here, almost 2 months ago, but I hadn't actually thought those events were related. Now I'm not so sure.
My 30th birthday, although it was relatively unaccompanied by angst or crisis of any kind, did bring with it a certain amount of stock-taking. 30, that nice big round number, feels like an arrival, time to know who you are and what you're doing. The big things in my life are right where I want them to be: I've just married a man more perfect for me than any I could imagine, my career is going swimmingly, I'm surrounded by a supportive family and the best friends anyone could ask for. I do worry, though, that the day-to-day is passing me by. When I have downtime, I'm more likely to fritter than to make it count, particularly when I'm away from CameraMan, which has been an awfully long time this fall.
I went off of the 'Book as a month-long experiment. I found myself spending an inordinate number of hours checking in on people I didn't feel particularly close to, and I wondered if I would miss it if I quit cold turkey. Turns out, I didn't, not at all, which is why I didn't reactivate my account after the month was up. I wish I could say that I've devoted the extra time I now have to better keeping in touch with the few people I truly care about, but that's still a work in progress.
The not blogging thing is something I don't understand as clearly. I'm struggling with what this blog means. I'm not an expat anymore. I don't have problems I want to escape. I'm thoroughly content living a life that consists mostly of work and CM, and honestly, I'm not entirely sure I have much to say anymore. Work has been hard these past few months, hard and dramatic and in some ways disappointing, but ultimately I've been reminded that I find great satisfaction in my work. And in an attempt to be kinder to myself, I'm telling myself that it's okay if the most I can accomplish on any given day is going to work, trying to do my job really well, and then telling my husband I love him. I'm giving myself permission to let go of self-improvement projects, to read the books I want to read instead of the ones on someone else's list, to stay up late watching episodes of Downton Abbey just because, to write only if there's something I want to say.
Tonight I felt like writing. Tomorrow I might not. Thanks for being here when I do.
I got this text from The Wise Soprano a few weeks back, followed by several concerned emails from other friends. So perhaps I should start by saying, everything's fine. Life is good. It turns out that the day I deactivated my Facebook account coincided with the last post I wrote here, almost 2 months ago, but I hadn't actually thought those events were related. Now I'm not so sure.
My 30th birthday, although it was relatively unaccompanied by angst or crisis of any kind, did bring with it a certain amount of stock-taking. 30, that nice big round number, feels like an arrival, time to know who you are and what you're doing. The big things in my life are right where I want them to be: I've just married a man more perfect for me than any I could imagine, my career is going swimmingly, I'm surrounded by a supportive family and the best friends anyone could ask for. I do worry, though, that the day-to-day is passing me by. When I have downtime, I'm more likely to fritter than to make it count, particularly when I'm away from CameraMan, which has been an awfully long time this fall.
I went off of the 'Book as a month-long experiment. I found myself spending an inordinate number of hours checking in on people I didn't feel particularly close to, and I wondered if I would miss it if I quit cold turkey. Turns out, I didn't, not at all, which is why I didn't reactivate my account after the month was up. I wish I could say that I've devoted the extra time I now have to better keeping in touch with the few people I truly care about, but that's still a work in progress.
The not blogging thing is something I don't understand as clearly. I'm struggling with what this blog means. I'm not an expat anymore. I don't have problems I want to escape. I'm thoroughly content living a life that consists mostly of work and CM, and honestly, I'm not entirely sure I have much to say anymore. Work has been hard these past few months, hard and dramatic and in some ways disappointing, but ultimately I've been reminded that I find great satisfaction in my work. And in an attempt to be kinder to myself, I'm telling myself that it's okay if the most I can accomplish on any given day is going to work, trying to do my job really well, and then telling my husband I love him. I'm giving myself permission to let go of self-improvement projects, to read the books I want to read instead of the ones on someone else's list, to stay up late watching episodes of Downton Abbey just because, to write only if there's something I want to say.
Tonight I felt like writing. Tomorrow I might not. Thanks for being here when I do.
Once upon a time
When last we saw our heroine, she ambitiously committed to writing three pages of stream of consciousness every morning, and then was never seen or heard from again.
Here's what happened. She set her alarm 30 minutes early and diligently wrote those morning pages…for two days. And on the third day, when she awoke to her iPhone buzzing, she could think of almost nothing she wanted to do less than write down her innermost thoughts. Or anything at all, for that matter. And so she didn't. And she didn't write the next day, either. Instead, she slept that extra 30 minutes, and then she went to work, and then she came home. Some days she exercised, some days she watched television, some days she read, some days she planned her wedding, and every day she took a picture. What she didn't do, not once, was write.
Adept as she usually is at compartmentalizing, she nevertheless had difficulty quieting the voices in her head: the one comparing her to all the more talented, more prolific bloggers; and the one calling her lazy for not accomplishing anything; and most especially the one telling her that she would never have a chance of becoming a real writer if she couldn't stick to a schedule for even one week. The voices were so loud and so numerous that they easily drowned out any writing ideas, and before she knew it, a week without writing had turned into two, had turned into three.
Finally, one day, out of the blue, she decided to forgive herself. She told herself calmly and reasonably that, while enjoyable, writing took a certain amount of energy and focus. Work also took quite a bit of both. For the time being, she explained to herself, it was okay if she chose to devote her limited resources of energy and focus to the thing that paid her a salary. That didn't make her less of a writer, or less of a person; it made her better at her job.
And so, she waited. She waited until her show opened. She waited until she had taken a restful trip to visit her parents. She waited until her wedding invitations were all addressed, stamped, and sealed. She waited until her mind was quiet and clear.
And then, only then, she began to write again.
Here's what happened. She set her alarm 30 minutes early and diligently wrote those morning pages…for two days. And on the third day, when she awoke to her iPhone buzzing, she could think of almost nothing she wanted to do less than write down her innermost thoughts. Or anything at all, for that matter. And so she didn't. And she didn't write the next day, either. Instead, she slept that extra 30 minutes, and then she went to work, and then she came home. Some days she exercised, some days she watched television, some days she read, some days she planned her wedding, and every day she took a picture. What she didn't do, not once, was write.
Adept as she usually is at compartmentalizing, she nevertheless had difficulty quieting the voices in her head: the one comparing her to all the more talented, more prolific bloggers; and the one calling her lazy for not accomplishing anything; and most especially the one telling her that she would never have a chance of becoming a real writer if she couldn't stick to a schedule for even one week. The voices were so loud and so numerous that they easily drowned out any writing ideas, and before she knew it, a week without writing had turned into two, had turned into three.
Finally, one day, out of the blue, she decided to forgive herself. She told herself calmly and reasonably that, while enjoyable, writing took a certain amount of energy and focus. Work also took quite a bit of both. For the time being, she explained to herself, it was okay if she chose to devote her limited resources of energy and focus to the thing that paid her a salary. That didn't make her less of a writer, or less of a person; it made her better at her job.
And so, she waited. She waited until her show opened. She waited until she had taken a restful trip to visit her parents. She waited until her wedding invitations were all addressed, stamped, and sealed. She waited until her mind was quiet and clear.
And then, only then, she began to write again.
A Week at a Time: Morning pages
Well, the evening clean-up week was a great success, except for that one night, when I took Nyquil at 8pm without thinking and fell fast asleep by 9:30. That night I did not clean the apartment. Otherwise, though, I made the effort to do it and it greatly improved the quality of my mornings. This one's a keeper.
This week my goal is to write every morning. The idea is taken from The Artist's Way, which instructs you to write three pages long-hand first thing in the morning, for your eyes only. I'm not certain that mornings are the best time for me to write, or whether long-hand is better than typing, or whether three pages will be the magic number for me, but it seems like a good place to start. I've never kept a journal with any regularity, and I'd like to start doing more writing that's not for public consumption. So often writing here leads me to some sort of catharsis, but the times in which I am most in need of that are also the times in which I tend to blog less. So... morning pages.
I'm looking forward to it. Care to join me?
This week my goal is to write every morning. The idea is taken from The Artist's Way, which instructs you to write three pages long-hand first thing in the morning, for your eyes only. I'm not certain that mornings are the best time for me to write, or whether long-hand is better than typing, or whether three pages will be the magic number for me, but it seems like a good place to start. I've never kept a journal with any regularity, and I'd like to start doing more writing that's not for public consumption. So often writing here leads me to some sort of catharsis, but the times in which I am most in need of that are also the times in which I tend to blog less. So... morning pages.
I'm looking forward to it. Care to join me?
A Week at a Time: Evening clean-up
My television-free week went quite well, although that might have been mostly because I was hardly home in the evenings to miss it. The nights I did stay in, I was more productive and spent lots more time reading, writing, and going through pictures. I tend to be exhausted by the time I get home, even if it's only 7:30pm, and not having the option to simply turn on a show (or four!) made me far more mindful of how I was spending my time. I think I slept better, too, although I did miss my man Jon Stewart.
This week I'm challenging myself to clean up my apartment every evening. It's such a small space (with no dishwasher, I might add) that clothes on the floor and dishes in the sink can lead to energy-sucking clutter in a matter of hours. Conversely, just 10-15 minutes of clean-up can make a huge difference, so this week I'll be doing the dishes and straightening up before bed. Oh, and I think I'll make my bed in the mornings, too, just for good measure.
It would have been useful for me to thoroughly clean the place on this, my free day. That way, I would be inspired to keep it neat and tidy, and my nightly sweep would be light and manageable.
I did no such thing, of course. I was too busy today enjoying the weather, finding my perfect wedding dress (check!), buying adorable pink things for my brand-new, born today niece(!!!!), and rolling my eyes at the Oscars.
The cleaning shall begin…tomorrow!
Are you in?
This week I'm challenging myself to clean up my apartment every evening. It's such a small space (with no dishwasher, I might add) that clothes on the floor and dishes in the sink can lead to energy-sucking clutter in a matter of hours. Conversely, just 10-15 minutes of clean-up can make a huge difference, so this week I'll be doing the dishes and straightening up before bed. Oh, and I think I'll make my bed in the mornings, too, just for good measure.
It would have been useful for me to thoroughly clean the place on this, my free day. That way, I would be inspired to keep it neat and tidy, and my nightly sweep would be light and manageable.
I did no such thing, of course. I was too busy today enjoying the weather, finding my perfect wedding dress (check!), buying adorable pink things for my brand-new, born today niece(!!!!), and rolling my eyes at the Oscars.
The cleaning shall begin…tomorrow!
Are you in?
Tschüß, 2010!
My New Year's Eve mood is leaning more toward nostalgic than celebratory. I'm actually feeling a bit sad to let go of this glorious year. It sounds absurdly hyperbolic to say that 2010 has been the best year of my life, so let's just say that 2011 has some big shoes to fill.
Highlights from the life of LMB in 2010:
I survived Tosca, Hamlet, Tosca again, Life is a Dream, Madame Butterfly, and La Fanciulla del West (hope I'm not jinxing anything—we've got 9 days left of this one). I was in a video on the New York Times website. For about 5 seconds, but still.
CameraMan got the most exciting email ever.
We got rid of most of our belongings in The Great Purge of 2010, first because we wanted to, and then because we had to.
We solidified incredible friendships and made a rich life in Houston. Then we moved. To another continent.
I started the Home on the Road feature. Then I neglected it. More to come in 2011, I promise.
We got engaged. It's a good story.
I crossed NINE items off my Bossy List: #67, #30, #42, #99, #21, #86, #84, #51, and #15. Thinking about topping that next year.
I spent a total of 165 days in the same city as CM. Definitely will be topping THAT next year.
I continued to write here, sometimes regularly, sometimes not. I even wrote several things that didn't make me cringe upon rereading them, including this, this, this, and this.
2011, you're going to have to work hard to top 2010, but I've got a good feeling about you.
Happy New Year, y'all.
Addio, 2009
Adieu, 2008
Highlights from the life of LMB in 2010:
I survived Tosca, Hamlet, Tosca again, Life is a Dream, Madame Butterfly, and La Fanciulla del West (hope I'm not jinxing anything—we've got 9 days left of this one). I was in a video on the New York Times website. For about 5 seconds, but still.
CameraMan got the most exciting email ever.
We got rid of most of our belongings in The Great Purge of 2010, first because we wanted to, and then because we had to.
We solidified incredible friendships and made a rich life in Houston. Then we moved. To another continent.
I started the Home on the Road feature. Then I neglected it. More to come in 2011, I promise.
We got engaged. It's a good story.
I crossed NINE items off my Bossy List: #67, #30, #42, #99, #21, #86, #84, #51, and #15. Thinking about topping that next year.
I spent a total of 165 days in the same city as CM. Definitely will be topping THAT next year.
I continued to write here, sometimes regularly, sometimes not. I even wrote several things that didn't make me cringe upon rereading them, including this, this, this, and this.
2011, you're going to have to work hard to top 2010, but I've got a good feeling about you.
Happy New Year, y'all.
Addio, 2009
Adieu, 2008
Sorry it's been forever. Work has been crazy.
Hey, remember that one time, when I redesigned my blog to be exactly what I wanted, wrote two micro-posts, and was never heard from again?
Yeah, about that.
I called up the Best Friend last night for a long overdue catch-up session, and I started out with, "Sorry it's been forever. Work has been crazy."
"Isn't it always?" she asked.
She's absolutely right. I have probably said the phrase "Work has been crazy" dozens of times over the past few years, to her and to all the other friends and family members I neglect the minute I start rehearsals for a new show. It's the worst thing about my job: the necessity for completely single-minded focus for intense periods of time. It's also one of my favorite things, actually, and I'm particularly thankful for it at the moment.
You know those dreams you have where different eras of your life are all jumbled together? You're at a cookout in the backyard of the house you lived in as a child, and with you are people from college you barely knew, and your high school boyfriend, and your great-uncle who died when you were a baby, and you're all discussing global warming, and then you go inside the house and you're actually in that apartment you lived in during grad school. Or something. You know what I mean.
Life is feeling surreal like that to me. I'm in Houston, but instead of living with CameraMan and the Bossy Cat in our cozy apartment, I've traveled back in time a couple years and I'm living in corporate housing again. I'm driving the same car, and seeing the same friends, and going to the same gym, and shopping in the same grocery stores, but I'm doing all those things alone instead of with CM. It's bizarre. Work is the same, barring a few new faces, but everything else seems just a little bit off.
So I'm focusing on work. And since I'm only at work 8-10 hours a day, with the balance of my time I'm trying to go to the gym and cook myself healthy meals on a regular basis. It all seems to be working pretty well. CM and I have settled into a routine: I call him when I wake up (he's on his afternoon break) and on my lunch break (he's home for the night), and we both write chatty good night emails at the end of our respective days.
It's almost enough to distract me from the fact that I'm not in Vienna. Almost.
Thank god the new season of TV has started.
Yeah, about that.
I called up the Best Friend last night for a long overdue catch-up session, and I started out with, "Sorry it's been forever. Work has been crazy."
"Isn't it always?" she asked.
She's absolutely right. I have probably said the phrase "Work has been crazy" dozens of times over the past few years, to her and to all the other friends and family members I neglect the minute I start rehearsals for a new show. It's the worst thing about my job: the necessity for completely single-minded focus for intense periods of time. It's also one of my favorite things, actually, and I'm particularly thankful for it at the moment.
You know those dreams you have where different eras of your life are all jumbled together? You're at a cookout in the backyard of the house you lived in as a child, and with you are people from college you barely knew, and your high school boyfriend, and your great-uncle who died when you were a baby, and you're all discussing global warming, and then you go inside the house and you're actually in that apartment you lived in during grad school. Or something. You know what I mean.
Life is feeling surreal like that to me. I'm in Houston, but instead of living with CameraMan and the Bossy Cat in our cozy apartment, I've traveled back in time a couple years and I'm living in corporate housing again. I'm driving the same car, and seeing the same friends, and going to the same gym, and shopping in the same grocery stores, but I'm doing all those things alone instead of with CM. It's bizarre. Work is the same, barring a few new faces, but everything else seems just a little bit off.
So I'm focusing on work. And since I'm only at work 8-10 hours a day, with the balance of my time I'm trying to go to the gym and cook myself healthy meals on a regular basis. It all seems to be working pretty well. CM and I have settled into a routine: I call him when I wake up (he's on his afternoon break) and on my lunch break (he's home for the night), and we both write chatty good night emails at the end of our respective days.
It's almost enough to distract me from the fact that I'm not in Vienna. Almost.
Thank god the new season of TV has started.
Makeover
It's fall, my favorite time of year. Fall brings with it the promise of fresh starts and clean slates, and it seemed like the right time for a blog redesign. What do you think?
Papa Bossy was incredibly helpful, as always, and I cannot thank him enough. He's responsible for the gorgeous new header, the buttons in the sidebar, and for introducing me to Kuler, an amazing tool for creating color themes (careful, it's easy to get sucked in). I'm so lucky to have talented people in my life.
Besides the overall look, a few little things have changed. I've taken the Bossy List out of the sidebar, which was getting too cluttered, and given it its own space here. I've also added a Projects page, which I'll be updating fairly regularly. And although you can still find me on Blogspot, the official address of this site is now www.littlemsbossy.com.
3 years and 400+ posts in, writing this blog still gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction. Thank you so much for reading.
Papa Bossy was incredibly helpful, as always, and I cannot thank him enough. He's responsible for the gorgeous new header, the buttons in the sidebar, and for introducing me to Kuler, an amazing tool for creating color themes (careful, it's easy to get sucked in). I'm so lucky to have talented people in my life.
Besides the overall look, a few little things have changed. I've taken the Bossy List out of the sidebar, which was getting too cluttered, and given it its own space here. I've also added a Projects page, which I'll be updating fairly regularly. And although you can still find me on Blogspot, the official address of this site is now www.littlemsbossy.com.
3 years and 400+ posts in, writing this blog still gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction. Thank you so much for reading.
I'm a winner (wiener)
I have an imperfect memory of winning an Easter coloring contest when I was little. I want to say it was sponsored by the local grocery store, and it was a picture of the Easter Bunny with a basket of eggs. I colored the whole picture in rainbow stripes, staying within the lines, of course. When I won, the prize was tickets to a magic show, which I have no memory of actually attending. What I do remember is seeing the rest of the contest entries, and everyone else's pictures were colored in realistic rabbit shades of gray and brown. I felt a little silly about mine, but kind of proud of it at the same time.
In 6th grade, I won a D.A.R.E. poster contest, which was mostly remarkable for the fact that I could not draw. At all. Still can't. In fact, on the occasion that minimal drawing is actually part of my job (while taking blocking), even my stick figures embarrass me. Luckily, Mama Bossy, being a graphic artist, had all these great books of clip art and pictures. She also had a scanner and color printer before anyone I knew did, so despite my severe lack of artistic skill, I was actually able to turn in some pretty cool assignments. For the poster, I drew a huge line drawing of a slot machine, using a model in one of her books. The line of pictures that had been brought up consisted of 3 skulls and crossbones, and over the coin slot I wrote "1 Life." The text on the poster said "You're gambling with your life when you take drugs." Pretty clever, right? I won a watch. I think it's still in my old bedroom at my parents' house.
I have a new trophy to keep in the case along with the magic show tickets and the D.A.R.E. watch: Rahree has given me the Honest Scrap award, for (I presume) being honest. And scrappy. I'm super flattered, and not only because I get to display the awesome Honest Scrap logo on here. I get to send you to some of my favorite bloggers, and then post 10 honest things about me. Fun, no?
So, first the bloggers.
Be sure to check out all those lovely people!
And now for the honest facts about me. Hmmm...
Thanks again, Rahree! And thank you to all who have been reading—I can't tell you how much it means to me that you're all out there.
In 6th grade, I won a D.A.R.E. poster contest, which was mostly remarkable for the fact that I could not draw. At all. Still can't. In fact, on the occasion that minimal drawing is actually part of my job (while taking blocking), even my stick figures embarrass me. Luckily, Mama Bossy, being a graphic artist, had all these great books of clip art and pictures. She also had a scanner and color printer before anyone I knew did, so despite my severe lack of artistic skill, I was actually able to turn in some pretty cool assignments. For the poster, I drew a huge line drawing of a slot machine, using a model in one of her books. The line of pictures that had been brought up consisted of 3 skulls and crossbones, and over the coin slot I wrote "1 Life." The text on the poster said "You're gambling with your life when you take drugs." Pretty clever, right? I won a watch. I think it's still in my old bedroom at my parents' house.
I have a new trophy to keep in the case along with the magic show tickets and the D.A.R.E. watch: Rahree has given me the Honest Scrap award, for (I presume) being honest. And scrappy. I'm super flattered, and not only because I get to display the awesome Honest Scrap logo on here. I get to send you to some of my favorite bloggers, and then post 10 honest things about me. Fun, no?So, first the bloggers.
- Pithy & Cleaver: Adorable name aside, this has become the first food blog I go to when I want to find a new, delicious, feasible recipe. In fact, the other day when they posted this, I went directly to the grocery store, bought the ingredients, and made it that night. We're still eating the leftovers, now mixed with some orzo. Yum.
- Mädchen Blogt: Especially good for those of us who are improving our German (ahem). Once I decipher it all, I always end up really loving the way she thinks.
- Max Wanger: For completely drool-worthy pictures. Also, I bought one of his shirts a few months ago, and I adore it.
- Missed Connections: This completely brilliant artist makes artistic renderings of Missed Connections posts on Craigslist. It's amazing how beautiful lots of them turn out.
Be sure to check out all those lovely people!
And now for the honest facts about me. Hmmm...
- On my last flight to Houston, I upgraded myself to First Class. I had never done that before. It was decadent and completely worth it.
- I am completely Baby Krazy at the moment. Emphasis on the Krazy.
- CM and I have been bringing back cocktail hour with a vengeance. Our current obsession: Aviations.
- My new haircut is exactly what I asked for. Now I just want it to grow long. Typical.
- The sum total of my accomplishments today: 2.5 hours of Shelbysitting (see #2), 1 easy treadmill workout, 3 discs of Gilmore Girls Season 3, lots of music copied to the Muller Melear Media Library, massive a**-shaped dip developed in couch.
- I only recycle when I'm not in Houston. But I do buy those cool swirly lightbulbs.
- I have already made decisions about everything I will eat at the Astros game I'm attending Thursday night. Hot dog(s), beer(s), soft pretzel(s), ice cream in a plastic baseball hat, if you're wondering.
- I don't wish I was working right now.
- I still have my wedding rings. I think I'm supposed to sell them or something, but I haven't.
- This winter I bought Groupons for 4 Pilates classes and 6 Yoga classes, all of which I need to take in the next 3 weeks. I should probably get started.
Thanks again, Rahree! And thank you to all who have been reading—I can't tell you how much it means to me that you're all out there.
Addio, 2009
As always, the end of the year has snuck up on me. The whole idea of 2010 is absurd—it sounds like something out of a bad sci-fi flick: a boomy male voice saying "In the year 2010...the world has become a very different place." And yet, here we are, another year gone by, another decade passed (Somebody, somewhere (Hi, Mom) is dying to correct me and tell me that the next decade doesn't start until 2011. I KNOW). 2009 was a big year for me, as I tried to find my footing as an honest-to-goodness freelancer and attempted to decide, as ever, what I want to do with my life. I'm going to tentatively say that it was a good year. A lot happened, that's for sure.
A few highlights from the past year in the life of LMB:
I started a 365 photography project. 10 months later, I ended it.
I survived La Sonnambula, Brief Encounter, La Cenerentola, Faust, and Katya Kabanova. I made company debuts in 3 new places, including The Met.
I moved into a new apartment with CameraMan in February and bought the couch of our dreams. I was actually resident in the apartment for a total of 3 months.
I held a newborn baby for the first time. Then I held another one.
I lived in New York City, Chicago, and rural upstate New York. I contemplated moving to 2 of the 3. I went back to Houston instead.
I turned 28. It didn't make me feel older or wiser.
I saw some famous people and was star-struck. I sat next to this guy. I sang "Happy birthday" to this one and got kissed on both cheeks by him. I saw 2 of the 4 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (one of whom read poetry out loud) and a never-nude at a Brooklyn bar and took a blurry picture of this guy in a midtown bar with an unmarked door.
I crossed off #96, #17, #1, and #72 on my list. I'll do better next year.
Do your worst, 2010.
A few highlights from the past year in the life of LMB:
I started a 365 photography project. 10 months later, I ended it.
I survived La Sonnambula, Brief Encounter, La Cenerentola, Faust, and Katya Kabanova. I made company debuts in 3 new places, including The Met.
I moved into a new apartment with CameraMan in February and bought the couch of our dreams. I was actually resident in the apartment for a total of 3 months.
I held a newborn baby for the first time. Then I held another one.
I lived in New York City, Chicago, and rural upstate New York. I contemplated moving to 2 of the 3. I went back to Houston instead.
I turned 28. It didn't make me feel older or wiser.
I saw some famous people and was star-struck. I sat next to this guy. I sang "Happy birthday" to this one and got kissed on both cheeks by him. I saw 2 of the 4 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (one of whom read poetry out loud) and a never-nude at a Brooklyn bar and took a blurry picture of this guy in a midtown bar with an unmarked door.
I crossed off #96, #17, #1, and #72 on my list. I'll do better next year.
Do your worst, 2010.
Follow me
I don't like to think of myself as a follower, a sheep, a trend whore. Which is why I find it necessary to tell you, that despite my "new" Twitter profile, I actually joined Twitter back in October 2007. That's right, way back when, before everyone was talking about it and using "tweet" as a verb, and WELL before Ashton Kutcher and Oprah got on board.
Okay, now that I've gotten that off my chest... So I rejoined Twitter. When I tried it before, nobody I knew was actually on it, and I eventually got bored with it. Now, everyone and their mother (although not Mama Bossy...YET) is tweeting, so I'm giving it another try, in the hopes that it will be fun this time. I'm looking down the barrel of a very long CameraManless summer—I need something to occupy my time.
So go ahead and follow me, why don't you?
Okay, now that I've gotten that off my chest... So I rejoined Twitter. When I tried it before, nobody I knew was actually on it, and I eventually got bored with it. Now, everyone and their mother (although not Mama Bossy...YET) is tweeting, so I'm giving it another try, in the hopes that it will be fun this time. I'm looking down the barrel of a very long CameraManless summer—I need something to occupy my time.
So go ahead and follow me, why don't you?
Adieu, 2008
It seems impossible that 2008 is already coming to a close. It's been a big year in the life of Little Ms. Bossy, but it's gone by in a flash. 2009 is going to be an exciting year, I can already tell: debuts at at least 2 companies, a world premiere, finally moving my stuff out of storage, paying off my credit card debt, the Obamas moving into the White House, and lots of other excitement I haven't even imagined yet, I'm sure. But first, I'm taking a little time to be self-indulgent and re-reading all my posts from 2008. Here's what happened to me this year:
I learned how to run. Then I forgot how again.
I worked up the courage to write about my divorce.
I found out that I like video games. Probably too much.
I attempted to blog every day for a month. Twice.
I traveled. To Chicago. To California. To the Rodeo (at least it felt like traveling). A road trip through New Orleans to Wolf Trap. To Oregon. To Shenandoah National Park. To Central City, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Back to California. And finally, to Vegas!
I survived Magic Flute, La Bohème, The Refuge, and Beatrice & Benedict. Also a 4-month long stretch of unemployment.
I made a couple big purchases. I bought an amazing new camera and learned to use it. Then I bought a beautiful new computer.
I made my Ultimate To-Do List and crossed off 9 out of 100. I started The Peer Pressure List as a weekly feature.
I survived a hurricane.
I celebrated my 27th birthday in style.
I helped elect Barack Obama. Then I got political, sort of.
2008, you pretty much rocked, but the time has come to say goodbye.
Bring it on, 2009.
I learned how to run. Then I forgot how again.
I worked up the courage to write about my divorce.
I found out that I like video games. Probably too much.
I attempted to blog every day for a month. Twice.
I traveled. To Chicago. To California. To the Rodeo (at least it felt like traveling). A road trip through New Orleans to Wolf Trap. To Oregon. To Shenandoah National Park. To Central City, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Back to California. And finally, to Vegas!
I survived Magic Flute, La Bohème, The Refuge, and Beatrice & Benedict. Also a 4-month long stretch of unemployment.
I made a couple big purchases. I bought an amazing new camera and learned to use it. Then I bought a beautiful new computer.
I made my Ultimate To-Do List and crossed off 9 out of 100. I started The Peer Pressure List as a weekly feature.
I survived a hurricane.
I celebrated my 27th birthday in style.
I helped elect Barack Obama. Then I got political, sort of.
2008, you pretty much rocked, but the time has come to say goodbye.
Bring it on, 2009.
Bossy Best of 2008
Everyone's putting out their Best of 2008 lists, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon and making one of my own. Here's what I loved this year:
Music:
These are all albums that came out this year, and actually I had quite a bit of trouble picking just 5. I have what you might call an iTunes addiction, to the point where I often refer to the day after Monday as "New Music Tuesday." These 5 were the ones I loved the most.
Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
Hip and nerdy at the same time, just like me!
Fave song: "Oxford Comma"
Rockferry, Duffy
I love Duffy's sultry soulful voice and her old-school style.
Fave song: "Mercy"
Paper Nest, Raining Jane
Plays right into my weakness for sensitive folky singer-songwriter types.
Fave song: "Broken Parts"
Hideaway, The Weepies
Listening to The Weepies always makes me happier. Always.
Fave song: "How You Survived the War"
Day & Age, The Killers
This one's only been out a couple weeks, but I'm already enjoying it just as much as their first album.
Fave song: "Human"
Honorable mention: One of the Boys, Katy Perry; Simple Times, Joshua Radin; Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket
Movies:
I don't see enough movies in the theatre to make a list of 2008 releases very interesting, but I do watch an awful lot of Netflix. So, these are the best movies I saw this year, old and new.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
I am probably the very last person EVER to watch this movie, but somehow I missed it until I was preparing for B&B during the summer. I love everything about it: the chemistry between Emma and Kenneth (those were the good old days), the Mediterranean setting, the informal way with the language…I even love Emma Thompson's ridiculous tan.
Persepolis (2007)
Totally unlike any movie I've seen before, this autobiographical film based on the graphic novel is charming and completely engrossing.
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
I've already waxed poetic about this one here, but it bears repeating. Madcap, I tell you, madcap.
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The Lives of Others (2007)
I watched this almost a year ago, but I'm still thinking about it. We've been inundated with enough World War II films that I have an understanding of that period, but the Cold War era remains something of an enigma. I love personal stories set against the backdrop of historical events. And you know I just love movies in German.
Milk (2008)
Again, I'm repeating myself, but really, it's that good. You'll want to go see it before the Oscars.
Honorable mention: Quantum of Solace (2008), Wall-E (2008), Joyeux Noël (2005)
TV Shows:
As with movies, much of my TV watching happens through Netflix, aka 6 months to a year late. I cannot speak to the current seasons of most of these (although Hulu is helping some), but what I saw on DVD rocked my socks off.
Mad Men (AMC)
Who knew the ’60s could be so fascinating? This show makes me crave cocktails at work, hats, and men in suits, although I'm happy to be watching from a safe distance when it comes to the smoke-filled meetings, and, you know, the subjugation of women.
Pushing Daisies (ABC—canceled)
Possibly the most bizarre premise I can think of, but the show is utterly captivating. They've created an entire alternate world for the characters to live in, and the look of it alone is enough to make you fall in love. Kristin Chenoweth is just too adorable, and Chi McBride gets the best sarcastic one-liners ever. I'm so sad that this show has been canceled.
30 Rock (NBC)
I. Love. Tina Fey. Almost as much as CameraMan does, but for different reasons.
The Office (NBC)
This will continue to be on my "Best of…" list until it goes off the air. It is the funniest show on television right now, and it's aging quite well.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
The other day CM and I were sitting on the couch, and he said, "You know what? I miss our friends on How I Met Your Mother." Pathetic as it may sound, I feel the exact same way. This show is so good I would almost pay $2.99 per episode on iTunes for the new ones. Almost.
Honorable mention: The West Wing, The Daily Show, Lipstick Jungle
Books:
In making this list, I know I'm forgetting some excellent books I read this year, but I had a little trouble remembering what I actually read. Maybe in preparation for 2009's list, I'll keep some kind of record. There were a few standouts I could remember, though.
Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald
I went through a Fitzgerald phase at some point during college, but I never read this one. It isn't plotted as well as some of the others, but the characters are so richly drawn. I like the idea of the main couple being based on him and Zelda, too.
American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld
A novel about the life of a First Lady remarkably similar to Laura Bush, this book provided some insight (although fictionalized) into the life of a woman to whom I had never given that much thought. I'm so excited to see what kind of First Lady Michelle Obama is going to be.
The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson
This historical nonfiction reads like a novel, as the author recounts the events of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, juxtaposed with the story of serial killer H. H. Holmes. If only all history books were this compellingly written, I would give up fiction all together.
The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende
I love this kind of epic South American novel, full of supernatural elements right in the middle of real life. This reminds me of A Hundred Years of Solitude or Like Water for Chocolate. It makes me want to move to South America to be in a culture that could produce this kind of imagination.
Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
Thanks to my To-Do list, I'm discovering some authors I never read before. I read 3 Waugh novels, and this is the best. He had a wicked sense of humor as well as a way of deftly dealing with deeper issues almost without you noticing it. After reading the book, I was disappointed by the 2008 film, but I'm looking forward to watching the whole BBC miniseries some time soon.
What were your favorites of 2008? What did I miss?
Music:
These are all albums that came out this year, and actually I had quite a bit of trouble picking just 5. I have what you might call an iTunes addiction, to the point where I often refer to the day after Monday as "New Music Tuesday." These 5 were the ones I loved the most.
Vampire Weekend, Vampire WeekendHip and nerdy at the same time, just like me!
Fave song: "Oxford Comma"
Rockferry, DuffyI love Duffy's sultry soulful voice and her old-school style.
Fave song: "Mercy"
Paper Nest, Raining JanePlays right into my weakness for sensitive folky singer-songwriter types.
Fave song: "Broken Parts"
Hideaway, The WeepiesListening to The Weepies always makes me happier. Always.
Fave song: "How You Survived the War"
Day & Age, The KillersThis one's only been out a couple weeks, but I'm already enjoying it just as much as their first album.
Fave song: "Human"
Honorable mention: One of the Boys, Katy Perry; Simple Times, Joshua Radin; Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket
Movies:
I don't see enough movies in the theatre to make a list of 2008 releases very interesting, but I do watch an awful lot of Netflix. So, these are the best movies I saw this year, old and new.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)I am probably the very last person EVER to watch this movie, but somehow I missed it until I was preparing for B&B during the summer. I love everything about it: the chemistry between Emma and Kenneth (those were the good old days), the Mediterranean setting, the informal way with the language…I even love Emma Thompson's ridiculous tan.
Persepolis (2007)Totally unlike any movie I've seen before, this autobiographical film based on the graphic novel is charming and completely engrossing.
Bringing Up Baby (1938)I've already waxed poetic about this one here, but it bears repeating. Madcap, I tell you, madcap.
The Lives of Others (2007)I watched this almost a year ago, but I'm still thinking about it. We've been inundated with enough World War II films that I have an understanding of that period, but the Cold War era remains something of an enigma. I love personal stories set against the backdrop of historical events. And you know I just love movies in German.
Milk (2008)Again, I'm repeating myself, but really, it's that good. You'll want to go see it before the Oscars.
Honorable mention: Quantum of Solace (2008), Wall-E (2008), Joyeux Noël (2005)
TV Shows:
As with movies, much of my TV watching happens through Netflix, aka 6 months to a year late. I cannot speak to the current seasons of most of these (although Hulu is helping some), but what I saw on DVD rocked my socks off.
Mad Men (AMC)Who knew the ’60s could be so fascinating? This show makes me crave cocktails at work, hats, and men in suits, although I'm happy to be watching from a safe distance when it comes to the smoke-filled meetings, and, you know, the subjugation of women.
Pushing Daisies (ABC—canceled)Possibly the most bizarre premise I can think of, but the show is utterly captivating. They've created an entire alternate world for the characters to live in, and the look of it alone is enough to make you fall in love. Kristin Chenoweth is just too adorable, and Chi McBride gets the best sarcastic one-liners ever. I'm so sad that this show has been canceled.
30 Rock (NBC) I. Love. Tina Fey. Almost as much as CameraMan does, but for different reasons.
The Office (NBC)This will continue to be on my "Best of…" list until it goes off the air. It is the funniest show on television right now, and it's aging quite well.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)The other day CM and I were sitting on the couch, and he said, "You know what? I miss our friends on How I Met Your Mother." Pathetic as it may sound, I feel the exact same way. This show is so good I would almost pay $2.99 per episode on iTunes for the new ones. Almost.
Honorable mention: The West Wing, The Daily Show, Lipstick Jungle
Books:
In making this list, I know I'm forgetting some excellent books I read this year, but I had a little trouble remembering what I actually read. Maybe in preparation for 2009's list, I'll keep some kind of record. There were a few standouts I could remember, though.
Tender is the Night, F. Scott FitzgeraldI went through a Fitzgerald phase at some point during college, but I never read this one. It isn't plotted as well as some of the others, but the characters are so richly drawn. I like the idea of the main couple being based on him and Zelda, too.
American Wife, Curtis SittenfeldA novel about the life of a First Lady remarkably similar to Laura Bush, this book provided some insight (although fictionalized) into the life of a woman to whom I had never given that much thought. I'm so excited to see what kind of First Lady Michelle Obama is going to be.
The Devil in the White City, Erik LarsonThis historical nonfiction reads like a novel, as the author recounts the events of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, juxtaposed with the story of serial killer H. H. Holmes. If only all history books were this compellingly written, I would give up fiction all together.
The House of the Spirits, Isabel AllendeI love this kind of epic South American novel, full of supernatural elements right in the middle of real life. This reminds me of A Hundred Years of Solitude or Like Water for Chocolate. It makes me want to move to South America to be in a culture that could produce this kind of imagination.
Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn WaughThanks to my To-Do list, I'm discovering some authors I never read before. I read 3 Waugh novels, and this is the best. He had a wicked sense of humor as well as a way of deftly dealing with deeper issues almost without you noticing it. After reading the book, I was disappointed by the 2008 film, but I'm looking forward to watching the whole BBC miniseries some time soon.
What were your favorites of 2008? What did I miss?
Playing catch-up
It's been so long since I posted here that I can hardly even call myself a blogger anymore. And while I'd love to break out my pithiest, wittiest writing, it seems that first it's time for a good old-fashioned catch-up post.
So, what's been going on the past few weeks? Here goes, in no particular order...
I'm behind on everything internet-related, but all that's about to change. Look out, readers, Little Ms. Bossy is back and looking forward to sharing her life with you again. Stay tuned...
So, what's been going on the past few weeks? Here goes, in no particular order...
- My life has pretty much returned to normal since Ike. All my friends except one have power now, the gym reopened, and almost all the street lights are working. Just in time for the Houston drivers to finally figure out what a blinking red light means.
- My temp job ended, but not until I had made myself so indispensable that 2 days a week turned into 5. What can I say, I'm that good.
- My real job started (yay!). I just finished up the first week of rehearsals for Beatrice & Benedict. After a summer off, being in the rehearsal room is just exactly what the doctor ordered. I'm a whole new girl.
I tried to move into my new apartment, only to discover that it looked like this:
To make up for it, I am now being housed in an apartment that looks like this:
Seems fair to me.- I'm assisting an Englishman with a cast that includes a Scot and an Irish woman. I may not be practicing my foreign languages, but I am learning lots of fun British phrases.
- I started a new diet/experiment: not eating crap. Except on Sundays. It's going very well so far.
- It became my birthday month! My birthday is in exactly a week. Please feel free to buy me presents.
I'm behind on everything internet-related, but all that's about to change. Look out, readers, Little Ms. Bossy is back and looking forward to sharing her life with you again. Stay tuned...
The new downtown
Yellow police tape festoons the streets.
Everywhere you look: Do Not Cross.
Ornamental trees are down or disappeared,
replaced by mounds of dirt spilling onto the sidewalks.
Broken glass glints on the ground,
something else to sidestep as we wait for nonexistent Walk signs.
Men in hard hats leaning out of skyscraper windows,
more plywood every time you go outside.
Lunch spots are busy like they always are,
but the table conversations are different.
Cell phone cameras are working overtime,
people craning their necks to see the tower.
Back to work.
Under-eye bags from sleepless nights, air-dried hair.
Everyone is hugging and swapping war stories:
tales of collapsed roofs, fallen trees, and lightning strikes,
narrow misses and near escapes.
"At least no one was hurt."
The conference room overflows with meetings,
discussing schedules and costs and how to help each other.
We take extra care to stop in every office, to talk to every colleague.
Driving home through ghost-town blocks with phantom street lights.
Past bustling restaurants and muted laughter.
Past flickering candles in windows and people talking on their porches.
Home to my cocoon of light and TV and normalcy and love.
Business as unusual.
Everywhere you look: Do Not Cross.
Ornamental trees are down or disappeared,
replaced by mounds of dirt spilling onto the sidewalks.
Broken glass glints on the ground,
something else to sidestep as we wait for nonexistent Walk signs.
Men in hard hats leaning out of skyscraper windows,
more plywood every time you go outside.
Lunch spots are busy like they always are,
but the table conversations are different.
Cell phone cameras are working overtime,
people craning their necks to see the tower.
Back to work.
Under-eye bags from sleepless nights, air-dried hair.
Everyone is hugging and swapping war stories:
tales of collapsed roofs, fallen trees, and lightning strikes,
narrow misses and near escapes.
"At least no one was hurt."
The conference room overflows with meetings,
discussing schedules and costs and how to help each other.
We take extra care to stop in every office, to talk to every colleague.
Driving home through ghost-town blocks with phantom street lights.
Past bustling restaurants and muted laughter.
Past flickering candles in windows and people talking on their porches.
Home to my cocoon of light and TV and normalcy and love.
Business as unusual.
In which LMB kicks a** and takes names
CaliBoy tells me he is concerned that my blog has taken a turn for the melancholy in recent posts. Looking back, I see that he is right, and I shouldn't be surprised. I've been going stir crazy, apparently unable to get motivated to do anything, spending all my time moping around the apartment. Last night when CameraMan got home from work he suggested we go out and do something fun, like have a beer and play some darts. My reaction? I teared up. Over beer. And darts. Clearly, I need to get out more. Or at all.
If pent-up frustration and mild depression are good for anything, it's beer-drinkin' and dart-playin'. Only halfway through my first Blue Moon, I won the first game handily. I don't mean to downplay it; this was a momentous occasion. After countless such evenings filled with Blue Moon (or Leinenkugel's, when they have it) and dizzying numbers of dart games, before last night I had beaten CameraMan exactly one time (you only wish you were there to witness my victory dance—I am the Usain Bolt of darts). Usually I am behind for the entire game, until it comes down to the very end, both of us needing one bullseye for the win, which he invariably throws before I do. Not this time. I lost my stride in the second game, and he beat me easily. The third game looked like it might go the same way, and I started getting pouty (yes, I'm a sore loser, which is unfortunate, considering how often I am one). We got down to the crucial moment, one bullseye to go on each side, and then, shockingly, amazingly, I got it! Best 2 out of 3 for the very first time. I was so proud I couldn't sleep.
And it's all been uphill from there. As of today I am employed!! Well, partially employed. The lovely people at the opera took pity on me and hired me as a temp until my real contract starts. I have never been happier to sit behind a desk researching travel, keeping the boss's schedule, and filling out expense reimbursement forms.
And to top it all off, we're heading out of town for a couple days. CameraMan's playing a recital in glamorous Longview, Texas, and I'm tagging along as Girlfriend Of. It'll be the last trip for a while, and I can't wait.
How's that for melancholy?
If pent-up frustration and mild depression are good for anything, it's beer-drinkin' and dart-playin'. Only halfway through my first Blue Moon, I won the first game handily. I don't mean to downplay it; this was a momentous occasion. After countless such evenings filled with Blue Moon (or Leinenkugel's, when they have it) and dizzying numbers of dart games, before last night I had beaten CameraMan exactly one time (you only wish you were there to witness my victory dance—I am the Usain Bolt of darts). Usually I am behind for the entire game, until it comes down to the very end, both of us needing one bullseye for the win, which he invariably throws before I do. Not this time. I lost my stride in the second game, and he beat me easily. The third game looked like it might go the same way, and I started getting pouty (yes, I'm a sore loser, which is unfortunate, considering how often I am one). We got down to the crucial moment, one bullseye to go on each side, and then, shockingly, amazingly, I got it! Best 2 out of 3 for the very first time. I was so proud I couldn't sleep.
And it's all been uphill from there. As of today I am employed!! Well, partially employed. The lovely people at the opera took pity on me and hired me as a temp until my real contract starts. I have never been happier to sit behind a desk researching travel, keeping the boss's schedule, and filling out expense reimbursement forms.
And to top it all off, we're heading out of town for a couple days. CameraMan's playing a recital in glamorous Longview, Texas, and I'm tagging along as Girlfriend Of. It'll be the last trip for a while, and I can't wait.
How's that for melancholy?
Internet intervention
I've decided I spend too much time on the internet. This is not some shocking revelation, nor is the situation so dire as to require a cold-turkey approach—I am not relying on iChat to replace actual chatting or iSex (it must exist) to replace actual sex. I have not yet been reduced to ordering groceries online and having them delivered. However, earlier this week there was a day that, during an especially intense Facebook excursion, I almost rationalized that I did not have time to go the gym. Now, in my current pathetic jobless state, there are some things I'm lacking: Extra cash. Motivation to get up early. Self-respect. But time? Time I've got. In spades. Time that I could surely be putting to better use doing charity work, starting my novel, or, you know, learning the shows I'm working on this year.
I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I am as big a fan of the internet as the next guy. I find it quite useful for blogging, emailing, picture-sharing, finding out when the next season of The Office comes out on DVD (this Tuesday, I'm so excited!), settling arguments about the proper use of "capitol" v. "capital," and, of course, stalking ex-boyfriends. But realistically, all of that should take under an hour per day, which is not realistically the amount of time I generally spend staring at the screen.
First there are the blogs. Until about 5 minutes ago, I was subscribed to 74 blogs on Google Reader. As of now, that number has been cut down to 44 (I'm pretty sure that's the second step, after admitting you have a problem). Lately I've been packing on the design blogs in a vain attempt to curtail my nesting instinct, as well as trying out new blogs linked to by bloggers I like. Not surprisingly the ones that made the cut are either friends or blogs I've been reading for a long time, with a few notable exceptions (I'm looking at you, Carl).
But worse than blogs, worse than shopping, worse than (and oddly similar to) porn, is Facebook (or Stalkerbook, as I prefer to call it). All those people you've tried hard to forget since high school, college, or that one dreadful summer? They're on Facebook, and they want to be "friends" with you and show you pictures of their drunken escapades, lists of their favorite movies, and the eclectic groups of people you have in common. And the worst thing is…it's fascinating. Never before have I felt so intimately involved in the lives of people I barely know. When I go to my Facebook home page, I'm alerted as to which of my friends have talked to each other, which have broken up, and which have recently thrown toga parties (a bizarrely high number, considering my age). And, while there is a part of me that would like to quit altogether, or at least make a drastic friend purge, I know I won't. Even after witnessing dramatic (and false) rumors started based on someone's "status" and sick days busted after drunken photos of the night before are posted. The best I can do is to turn down friend requests from people I don't recognize (or, let's be honest, just don't like), hold myself back from posting too many details about myself (that's what this blog is for, right?), and try to take days off.
It helps that internet reception at CameraMan's apartment, where I'm shacking up temporarily, is sketchy at times and limited to only one computer. It also helps that almost everybody is back in town, so I'm starting to have something resembling a social life: happy hour on Tuesday, Astros games last night and tomorrow, meals on the go between CameraMan's rehearsals, and gym dates with Little Miss Hardcore.
It does not help that My Gay Husband has just started a wickedly funny blog.
Oh well. One day at a time, right?
I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I am as big a fan of the internet as the next guy. I find it quite useful for blogging, emailing, picture-sharing, finding out when the next season of The Office comes out on DVD (this Tuesday, I'm so excited!), settling arguments about the proper use of "capitol" v. "capital," and, of course, stalking ex-boyfriends. But realistically, all of that should take under an hour per day, which is not realistically the amount of time I generally spend staring at the screen.
First there are the blogs. Until about 5 minutes ago, I was subscribed to 74 blogs on Google Reader. As of now, that number has been cut down to 44 (I'm pretty sure that's the second step, after admitting you have a problem). Lately I've been packing on the design blogs in a vain attempt to curtail my nesting instinct, as well as trying out new blogs linked to by bloggers I like. Not surprisingly the ones that made the cut are either friends or blogs I've been reading for a long time, with a few notable exceptions (I'm looking at you, Carl).
But worse than blogs, worse than shopping, worse than (and oddly similar to) porn, is Facebook (or Stalkerbook, as I prefer to call it). All those people you've tried hard to forget since high school, college, or that one dreadful summer? They're on Facebook, and they want to be "friends" with you and show you pictures of their drunken escapades, lists of their favorite movies, and the eclectic groups of people you have in common. And the worst thing is…it's fascinating. Never before have I felt so intimately involved in the lives of people I barely know. When I go to my Facebook home page, I'm alerted as to which of my friends have talked to each other, which have broken up, and which have recently thrown toga parties (a bizarrely high number, considering my age). And, while there is a part of me that would like to quit altogether, or at least make a drastic friend purge, I know I won't. Even after witnessing dramatic (and false) rumors started based on someone's "status" and sick days busted after drunken photos of the night before are posted. The best I can do is to turn down friend requests from people I don't recognize (or, let's be honest, just don't like), hold myself back from posting too many details about myself (that's what this blog is for, right?), and try to take days off.
It helps that internet reception at CameraMan's apartment, where I'm shacking up temporarily, is sketchy at times and limited to only one computer. It also helps that almost everybody is back in town, so I'm starting to have something resembling a social life: happy hour on Tuesday, Astros games last night and tomorrow, meals on the go between CameraMan's rehearsals, and gym dates with Little Miss Hardcore.
It does not help that My Gay Husband has just started a wickedly funny blog.
Oh well. One day at a time, right?
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