Eggplants & Apples

I had a nice, relaxing Labor Day weekend. Thanks for asking. I went apple picking with some friends. I threw an apple at a sparrow and its head cracked open revealing a trapped genie. The genie offered to grant me three wishes, but I said, "Screw you, genie. Why wish for things that aren't in the Now? The Present Moment is all there is." And with that he dissipated. I regret my wisdom. It swindled me out of an apple monster under my control, a personal harem, and a life-supply of ShamWows.

Jessica made a delicious apple pie and a peach buckle. We caught up on some episodes of True Blood (it's a deliciously gay season). We went food shopping and I made an eggplant stir fry over brown rice. Enough to last for a week of lunches! Take that starvation!

Here's the recipe...

It's easy to make, but it needed more soy sauce than called for. It goes well with 3 cups of rice.

I'm developing the habit of preparing large batches of scrumptious, healthy meals early in the week. It saves money and makes it easier to decide what to eat when I'm in a pinch.

If you have any good batch-cooking ideas that store well, shout 'em out. I need ideas!

It's coming for you, Barbara

Winter will be upon us soon, my children. The whipping winds of the autumnal season will be an harbinger of what is to come... freezing white death. Who can survive the snowy-cold sleep of Earth's Ice Maiden? There is no hope!

Yes, I am aware that it is September... but I want to be ominous and foreboding now!

Enjoy the heat while you can. Fools. Eat your popping-sicles. Shave your legs. Frolic in your garden of summery delights. But don't look behind you, whatever you do. Winter's icy grip will grasp your frail shoulder before you know it. And I'll be there. In the corner, laughing. Smoking a cigar, wrapped in my brown mink pelt with owl feather lining overcoat of "I told you so."

Second City Piggy

I am beginning my third round of classes for Ciudad Segundo (Second City)! Auditions for the next level were held last Friday. I did pretty well. I passed. Awesomeness has been had.

I was passed along a note by the head of the training center that I was 'leading' the scenes a bit too much. Which didn't feel good to hear, as I held back during the audition to avoid doing that very thing. I think I know what's up, though. I have a powerful stage presence and I give off an aura of confidence which I don't actually feel. But I can fake it. I've already been made aware that at least a few of my classmates were intimidated by me when we first worked together. I think some of that may have carried out on stage. They like working with me, but they may be letting me take too much leadership out there. Which makes me look like a scene hog.

Hey, sometimes I am a bit of a scene hog. But when I am, I fess up to it.

I have mixed feelings about this whole improv-Second City venture. I know I'm going to learn a lot, but it's painful to throw a lot of money into this thing and have everyone forget me when I've graduated. There are a lot of people taking classes here, and I'm just part of the crowd. The teachers are cool, but they've got a lot going on in their own lives. Should I be more proactive in some way? Like slip them a six-pack of beer and a twenty and say, "I just hope you'll think of me come company audition time." Yeah, that could fly. That usually works, right?

I need to keep reminding myself that the priority is to learn, have fun, and make friends. The theater community is all about contacts. That's hard when you're an introvert.

This class seems like it's going to be better than the last two. Our teacher is very hands-on and he calls people out on their bullshit. He did it to one girl last night. She cried! Then she wrote me an email asking me if I think she should quit. I talked some sense into her. She's going to bounce back and try harder, she said. I respect that. I need to take some of that advice to heart.