Closing the safety pin.

Mom suggested the title. Draw your own conclusions.

Going to MoMA today and then to Baxter's genius show. More on that later. In the meantime, I'm off to tourist land!

Mom and I are dressed up pretty, which is fun (since we're going to a reception later this evening and can't come all the way back to Brooklyn to change, so this will be fun, like when people used to get dressed up to see the town. I would miss those days if I had ever experienced them).

I miss my friends in Atlanta but we went out last night for South African curry, so that was pretty fun, too. :-) I really like Brooklyn so I'm glad my bro and sis-in-law moved here, but also I know that's like the cherry on top of NYC so I know they're never coming back South now. Also Baxter told me I embarrassed him by acting like a jokester smart-ass at the restaurant. I love him. He is just stressed out. And I'm not actually worried about it anyway, since I wouldn't have acted any different anyway. It's weird growing up and growing into yourself, especially when your siblings grow into themselves in totally different ways! The cord is officially cut. Between me and him, not me and my mom. :-)

Sunday I might go to the zoo or the High with some Acting friends. It's fun to have more friends. I should try to make even more.

Ok, well, off on our NYC adventure! Wish us luck.

I miss you friends! I miss you cats! I will be home soon.

One loooooooooong weekend, coming up!

I'm going to NYC tomorrow with Mom! I will be so glad to have a distraction from the fact that for the fourth time out of five months (or more), my checking account is overdrawn. Ergh. BLEGH!

NYC, Baxter, and Austin, here we come!

Weird.

I spoke with some of my acupuncturists about something like this in our interviews. My mom found an ad for it in the Sky Mall magazine. Weird.

Timely news release

I've long felt conflicted about the Georgia Aquarium and this about sums up why:



Having grown up visiting the wonderful North Carolina Aquarium (Wikipedia) and North Carolina Zoo (Wikipedia), it is often hard to see the other zoos and aquariums without suspicion.

I mean seriously. The Georgia Aquarium serves Fish and Chips in their Cafe and they aren't even from sustainable fisheries or anything. And it's like a huge advertisement for their corporate sponsors (especially Home Depot, whose founder founded the aquarium) despite being among the most expensive to visit in the country.

And yet, it's so much fun. The modern world is so conflicted.

How YOU doin'?

Yesterday's trips to the CNN Center, the High, and the Botanical Garden were relatively awesome. We didn't make it to the Zoo, so I'm hoping I'll be able to make it out there next Sunday.

Today's Drew's birthday AND the character workshop, so I know tonight will be fun. I'm disappointed in my current progress with the character I'm working on, but it's just a start, so I'm not going to worry too much.

Wednesday I'm going to NYC! With my Mom! To visit my brother and sister-in-law! And see my brother's video game show! All exciting things. It will be super nice to get out of Atlanta for a minute.

Today I'm at work, though, and it's driving me bananas. I need a new job. One that doesn't force me to take 5 minute blogging breaks to write about how I need a new job.

Wish me luck.

Acting, Perfeckly.

This weekend I was supposed to do some things. For the first time in a long time, I had homework. I was supposed to get my car estimated a couple more times, and I have to basically write and come up with a Director's plan for a monologue-turned-scene in my acting class. Yesterday I went to the aquarium and the World of Coke, and then watched Sweeney Todd aka Yummiest Grossness, and then went to an Improv show -- great show, although the energy was kind of down. It's hard on stage when the audience doesn't have much energy, and you're tired -- it makes the whole thing twice as difficult.

Today I'm going to the zoo, then the CNN Center, and then the Botanical Gardens. We might go to the High -- I don't know! I don't know if we're going to have time! (Old School shout out)

So, not much time for homework, I guess, although Sanks and I have been dealing with some pretty heavy stuff, so I don't feel like I've been wasting time or anything.

Tomorrow at Improv rehearsal, we're doing a character workshop. We are going to take on different characters, and then take a field trip AS those characters. Drew and I have been debating taking the opportunity to try new ones, but the one I want to try might flop and then I'd be stuck as her for two hours! Maybe in two hours she would have time to "rise from the flop" though. :-) Maybe I'll try a zombie!

Charity :-)

Happy, happy, JOY! JOY!

Don't worry. Be happy.


My car is fine. He has a little mash-up, but I love him anyway. And since I simply don't have $1300, I think I'll just wait on getting him fixed. Bless his little heart. 


I went to the Improv Studies show last night, which was AWESOME. These folks are so talented! They played some really tough games, and knocked them out of the park/theatre! I was so proud, as if their achievement somehow was part mine. Love you guys!


Now I'm at work, which is sucking, but whatever. Tonight I'm volunteering at the theatre, with DREW, which will be terrific! So, Ha! Ha! Universe! THAT'S what happens when you find a stranger in the alps, Universe. 


Oh, yeah. Did I tell you we went bowling Monday night? Awesome. Love the apprentice cast! I need to leave work before it pushes me into the dark oblivion of angry madness. Must... Escape... In time today...

Ouch, Addendum.

My car was hit yesterday while I was at work. And of course it would be silly for someone to have taken responsibility and left a note.

AWESOME.

There goes another $1000 + that I DON'T HAVE.

Update:

$1300

Ouch.

Cramps. You're welcome for the details.

I'm going to acting class and I haven't learned my monologue yet.

I bowled like a 38 last night. Although I got two strikes and a spare in the next game.

I woke up at 8:45 to be at work at 9:00 this morning.

Ouch.

Update: Relaxation Weekend O' Ten, Number Two, Day Three, Part Two.

Sorry for the tardiness, but my internet connection isn't what it once was now that I've stopped paying for one. Last night I write a short (SHORT) story from my childhood, which made me feel really (REALLY) good. I won't post it here, though. If you'd like to read it, let me know and I'll send you a copy.

I am at work now. Plowing through the inevitable pile of blegh. I need to find a new job. This much is clear. One thing I keep being reminded of (situationally AND verbally) is that no one or thing can make me happy -- I have to make myself happy. Thus, I'm going to make an effort to do so.

Wish me luck! Goodbye Relaxation Weekend O' Ten Number Two, and HELLO MONDAY!

Charity :-)

Update: Relaxation Weekend O' Ten, Number Two, Day Three, Part One.

I just got back from seeing my friend Sebastian in a play at the Woodruff Arts Center! Very much fun indeed. I was pleased to find out when I arrived that not only was I an hour early, but also, Sebastian was wandering around with a camera, and asked me to serve as "videographer" since they wanted to record the show. Ka-ching! 100% off ticket? Yes, please!

In my 30 minute "break" I took a walk around the Woodruff Arts Center, which is quite lovely. I couldn't go to the High unfortunately (my membership expired 18 days ago, I kid you now) but I COULD go to the High Cafe after wandering for 20 minutes, and drink a glass of wine! Actually, though, it was a plastic cup of wine, and it's hard for me to call it wine since all they had left was the pink stuff, so it was more like a spritzer, but nevertheless, it was a relaxing time. I was also happy that I was finally able to take a closer look at the Lichtenstein piece in the Arts Center Plaza, and I discovered that it was even more interesting than I thought!

Anyway, all that to say, it's now 5:30 and I still haven't devised a suitable end to Relaxation Weekend o' Ten, Number Two, but I'm working on it. I just cleaned about 6 pints of pollen off my porch couch, and so I'm going to sit on it and finish my leftover pizza and fresh beer first and then see what I feel like.

After seeing that play I was struck with the desire to write my stories again, but I'll have to see how that goes. It's my next project, but I would love to have a job I loved first...

Update: Relaxation Weekend O' Ten, Number Two, Day Two.

Ahhh, the sweet feeling of sweet relaxation. This is the perfect staycation for me right now. Today I slept until almost noon. By the time I woke up both cats were posted on my bed staring at me, meowing if I made any attempt -- however slight -- to open my eyes. Then I heated up leftovers for lunch from yesterday's veggie enchilada fiesta, cracked open a mid-afternoon beer (yes, relaxation weekend has its perks!) and started Seven Samurai. Now this movie is amazing, but I had to take a slight break from it (so far it's been on for 2 hours and 15 minutes and the bandits haven't even attacked yet) to check my special lady friend Drew's blog about her mainstage debut last night. After reading her super exciting blog, I was so excited that I wanted to post one, too! I also found out this afternoon that tonight is another apprentice cast member's mainstage debut! Don Patton in the house, ladies and gents!

Sigh. What bliss. Now I will return to the film. I love Akira Kurosawa. It looks like the main challenge of this weekend is to keep moving up the awesomeness scale rather than settle for the same old high level of awesomeness. I'm thinking crafts might come into play in a few minutes...

Cheers!
Charity :-)

Update: Relaxation Weekend O' Ten, Number Two, Day One.

Right now, I'd love to be at the theatre, because Drew is in her first mainstage show, ROCKING IT I'm sure. Unfortunately, after the week I had, I needed a mental sanity day. Thus, I have dedicated this weekend as Relaxation Weekend O' Ten Number Two.

Today I have done the following:

• I saved an inchworm from certain death.
• I finally got our website live at work! I've been working on it for many many moons now, and am pleased to share with you my success.
• I got my oil changed and my engine air filter replaced.
• I got my car washed.
• I drank a margarita with lunch and ate some veggie enchiladas (YUMM-O) at one of my favorite restaurants.
• I read almost 100 pages of The Art of Racing in the Rain, which Katie loaned me forever ago and which I am totally in need of reading right now.
• I remembered to feed my friend's cat and in so doing enjoyed about 5 minutes of stranger-cat-love until he rolled back into his “I'm King Cat” pose and promptly scratched the hell out of my hand. (Nice. Thanks.)
• I watched 2 AMAZING films that I have had from Netflix for over a month. Pinky, which I've been wanting to see since forever, and Gentlemen's Agreement, which I've also been wanting to see for forever. Both of them are super radical films for their time, I think. Pinky deals with a woman who was passing as white, and Gentlemen's Agreement was about a guy (THANK YOU Gregory Peck! Hats off to you and your awesomeness) who writes an article about anti-semitism and pretends to be Jewish while doing so. Both of them were so awesome. I didn't really like the ending of Gentlemen's Agreement, most likely since Gregory Peck did not wind up with me in the end, but I thought that overall both were excellent. Of course, both were directed by Elia Kazan, so obviously. I LOVE HIM.

Now, if you know me, you are probably thinking to yourself, “Hmm, this sounds like more than Charity ever gets done on a Friday afternoon or any afternoon or any entire weekend, for that matter,” and you would be making a very astute observation. In fact, I don't. And I realized it's because my life is so $#%!@#!@#ing STRUCTURED right now, that I literally have no time to just relaaaaaaaaaax. Hence, Relaxation Weekends/Weeknights o' Ten!!! And it was amazing. The minute I was like, “@#$ it, this week is dead to me. IT'S THE WEEKEND, BABY!!!!” I became extremely efficient and productive. I mean, I left out the parts where I went to the liquor store for beer, made dinner, and got caught up on reading my friends' blogs!!!

This has been very interesting. This productive relaxation thing. In therapy this week we kind of talking about it a little. How, before I was so depressed thinking that no one would even notice if I died in my sleep since my human contact was so sporadic, to knowing that if I died in my sleep people would notice because a great number of them would probably be pissed off at me for missing something “important.”

It's all about balance, my therapist said. That's why she gets paid the big bucks, I guess. Not from me, obviously. But from someone.

I'm going to go watch Seven Samurai. Or take a bath. Or vaccuum. Or go straight to bed. The beauty is that I don't even know what I'm going to do next!

This is looking good.

Projects

This blog has become less fun. First of all, no one reads it. Second of all, there is one person who reads it and insists on posting creepy comments that I have had to filter out now, which is a pain, and which given the low readership, is even MORE annoying. Third, I'm feeling very scattered lately. I'm never home. Literally, I'm at rehearsal of some kind at least three nights a week, and on the others, I'm sometimes volunteering at one, performing at one, and/or attending a friend's show at one. It makes for absolutely no time. Plus, I have to watch LOST and Real Housewives of NYC on two others. As you can see, that adds up to more than 7 days, meaning I'm usually double booked. It's literally wearing me down.

Plus, my dissertation advisor was in a bicycle accident, so he can't hood me in the graduation ceremony. I know I'm being selfish, but I really wanted him there. He's been such an amazing advisor. Even though he's so central to the department, and even though I've long felt alienated from it, he's always reached out to me and he's always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself (which was approximately 92% of the time). In the past 10 years, I've grown immensely and he's been so important to that. I honestly consider him like a third father. So yeah, I was disappointed. And also, worried!

So I'm tired. I'm going through my journals because I've been cataloging my improv and acting journals and recently came across one from college. Wow, I really have grown up. I usually feel like a kid who doesn't know what's going on and doesn't have any control over my life, but I realize now that not only do I really have that power, but I really DO feel in control most of the time. I'd love to get the writings from my journals all consolidated. My grandmother was trying to write her memoirs before she died, I remember. I really wish she would have. She had an amazing life. I don't fancy my life as amazing, but I do think that it would be nice to read it myself someday, even if I don't have kids. And I recently read the memoirs of my paternal great-great aunt, which didn't mention any of my direct kin, but found it fascinating. Of course, I'm not from a holler in southeastern Virginia, but I think North Carolina is pretty good, too.

And honestly, when I log on to Blogger I usually have to read about 8 blog entries from my friends, so by the time I finish that I basically want to log off and I basically have to anyway, since that takes me about an hour.

So it is what it is. I may remove this blog, actually, and add it to my stack of journals. But I'll probably just leave it up and post random videos and photos and things. Anyway, I won't be investing much time in it anymore, I reckon. But thanks for whatever.

xo,
Charity