Friday, December 23, 2005

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuhkah, and a great New Year!


Thursday, December 22, 2005

Spreading some holiday cheer

If you haven't had a chance to watch this yet, chech out Romance of the Jedi.

It's been a while since I did a Christmas memory, so I thought that in honour of Jenny and Andrew's journey home tomorrow morning I would tell my most recent of favourite Christmas memories.

Around this time last year I got an idea. I thought that since I had friends with a vehicle, surely one of them could give me a ride home (or the general area there-abouts) for Christmas. But as it turned out the only one leaving any time around the date that I wanted to go home was Andrew, who lives all the way in Peterborough. On his way, however, he was going to go through Orillia. Ontario Northland runs a bus out of Orillia, to get to Hamilton it costs about $20. But the last bus of the night leaves at 8pm. We were supposed to leave Sudbury at around 11am, but for SOME reason Andrew's 1972 Comet was having trouble starting when it was -50 or so without the windchill. So after a day of he and Steph trying to get this car running we got out of town at exactly 5pm, giving us JUST enough time to get to Orillia.
This year had also been the first year that I had ever been able to watch Christmas specials with friends (most of my friends in high school thought I was a little odd... more so) and we had been reciting a lot of lines from these specials such as "This is man's work" (clop clop) and of course "Careful of the icy patch!". Sure enough driving down highway 69 we were not careful of the icy patch. In the old Comet full of luggage and presents, Nora on my lap, we hit an icy patch and spun out across the highway into a snow bank. The snow bank of course had a rock in it which the Comet got stuck on.
Fortunatly, no one (including Nora) was hurt but we were a little alarmed that we were stranded on the side of the highway about 45min north of Parry Sound (AKA the middle of nowhere). We quipped several times that if we were in a Christmas special surely Santa would have come by now to pull us to safety. We did however have a lot of help including several people that turned around to see if we were OK, and a tow-truck driver that got us out of there in less than 3 hours (as had been previously predicted). When we were retrieved from the snow and got to Parry Sound we read the McDonald's menus that had lists of "What to bring on a Winter roadtrip" including such useful items as "a first aid kit", "cell phone", "extra food", "warm clothes" and other useful things that we of course did not have.
A lot of things could have gone wrong on our adventure, and all and all we were pretty lucky. I managed to stay calm and collected in the car (miraculously) and Andrew brought me home with him to Peterborough, where I met the Root clan. (I believe the first thing his brother said to me was "so you actually choose to be friends with Andrew?").

Have a safe trip guys! And have a Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Happy Winter Solstice

For those of you that haven't been following the war on Christmas check out the "Secular Central" video from the Daily Show last week.

It's kind of exhausting actually...

Monday, December 19, 2005

Sir are you wearing a paper bag?





Homer: I have misplaced my pants


The belt buckle on my last pair of functional pants broke off. While it's very nice to have lost some weight and have the rest of my pants falling off of me, it has created a small wardrobe dilema. I went shopping today (something which I hate to do for myself before Christmas), and I managed to get two pairs of decent pants and a dress shirt for $50. And so thankfully I will not be pantless next semester- though I had been seriously considering just wearing my short skirt to school everyday...

A Tribute to Lakewood

(Yes, I'm sorry. This is a series of in-jokes that are funny to only me and two-ish people reading this. My apologies.)

The grassy knoll
High and Dry
I was saying Boo-urns
Snort!

Immediate dismissal, and
Starting something compotently (both things you can do on a beach)

Swea-ea-eat shirt. Redhooded Swea-ea-eat Shirt.
Hour-long search and rescue
I spy with my little eye... a tractor!
The one that wants to be with you
Ending Futures, Destroying Lives: Bakewood

Yes my old camp is going to be no more, because... well that's another rant for another day. I'm sure some chump in the Niagara region will make great use of the beach front property with fully accessible cabins and paved pathways. Such is life.

I suppose MY Lakewood era ended sometime ago, but it's kind of hard to wrap my head around it really being gone. I guess it's strangely appropriate right now...
Pre-emptive apologies to my friends at school who will now have to endure all of my old camp stories as part of my sulking.

I have been really touched by all of the amazing staff and campers I worked with in my four years at Lakewood. I miss so many of them and I often think about everyone and how they are doing. I guess all there is to say is...
Thanks for the day campers!

Friday, December 16, 2005

Blogging politics...

And so in a single day the election was lost once again by the conservatives:

http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/leadersparties/harper_speech.html

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

This might explain it best

I've spent the last few weeks blogging random holiday memories. Each of them sort of a tribute to why this holiday means a great deal to me. I think though, that this particular holiday memory is the most significant.

It will be sixteen years ago today that my Grandfather passed away. It was an unexpected loss in my family and was very difficult for everyone. It was especially tough that it happened so close to Christmas. My Grandfather was a deacon in the Anglican Church, and Christmas was his favourite time of year. My mother often tells me stories about how much he loved the holidays, and there is now a Christmas stained glass window at the church in his memory. My last memory of him is having him come to see me in a Christmas pagent playing Santa Clause.

I was only six years old at the time, with no real concept of death or loss. I can't even imagine how difficult it was for my family. I say that because I had no idea how difficult it was for my family. They worked so hard at being strong through out the holiday for me that I have no bad memories of that Christmas whatsoever. My parents and Grandma and Aunts worked so hard at still making Christmas a happy time of year for me then, that I don't associate the holiday with sadness or pain. I do have some sad memories about the funeral and visitation and other stuff, but I mostly remember that Christmas still came.

Some how or other it came just the same.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

I'll take S-words for $500



Confession of a bad femenist: Sometimes I wish I was a boy.
Today as I sat (wearing my Grandfather's old clothes) in the theatre wanting to swing swords around with the guys- and turning to Ian and saying "Oh we learned that in grade 11 PhysEd"- I was once again struck by this thought. This tomboy-thing has lessened considerably in the last few years. My Saturday nights are no longer dictated by Hockey Night in Canada, I no longer feel the need to CHUG beer, and I've even worn a skirt to school... once I think... Ah but today. I wanted to learn to sword fight!
I'm not an overly violent person, I just LOVE swords. And I was absolutely on cloud nine when Paul, the fencing instructor let me join in.

en garde...

THRUST!

SWING!

PARRY!

STAB! STAB! STAB!

Although I have no practical use for it, I now know the BASICS of stage combat with foils. I am certain that at some point I can learn to extend this to broadswords and lightsabers when necissary. Maybe I can play Viola someday and actually do the fight scene...

I guess I don't have to be a boy to have fun with swords :)

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Six Geese A-Laying

Rather than finish my production journals...


When I was in grade 6 I was in our classes's Christmas Assempbly play "The Twelve Days of Christmas". I got selected to play Six Geese a-Laying, which meant that for six verses I pretended (dressed as a goose) to go into labour on stage and drop a small plastic egg (one of those ones that they used to put nylons in) out from between my legs. While some twelve year olds may have been embaressed to do such a thing, I just enjoyed being the centre of attention on stage :) Thankfully that need has since left me.

Very Fortunate

I have tried to write this like six times. I don't think I have words for what I want to say right now.

Here are some pictures instead:



I have a new great card on my dresser.



I can see why my friend likes this show so much.



She's a pretty extraordinary girl.



I actually know a few extraordinary girls.



I wish you had been in the empty seat at the concert...



So damn lucky...



We're gonna be friends...



The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

The most fun I've ever had at the JN Desmaris Library

I probably only think that this is funny because of my most recent post, and possibly sleep deprivation... but do you know the letters for the call number in the Library of Congress classification system for the Bible?

BS.

Yes every library using the Library of Congress classification system (like every major library in North America) has the bible classified as BS!
I went to look it up on the electronic catalogue and snickered the entire way to the second floor.

I wonder if the Dewey Decimal system has it as 666? Probably not.


For my Christmas story today, I just have a message to my father...

You've ruined the winter solstice!


(my brother and I like to tell my father that he's ruined various holidays for no apparent reason... it started with the ruining of Christmas, but he's already done that this year)

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Good grief

A story that requires some background to make up for overdue entries:

(by the by, I will make sure that the next story is funny, promise)

In "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown" Linus recites from the King James bible Luke 2:8-15 "And there were in the same country sheppherds..." etc. It's one of the most beautiful moments in any Christmas special. It ends with that lovely line "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards man". While I know not everyone who shares the Christmas spirit shares the religious aspects of it, I think the idea of peace on earth and goodwill towards mankind is pretty universal. It's the real essence of the Christmas spirit, and the social consciousness that makes the holiday worth all the price wars and commercialization.
If you read the New Revised standard version, however, you get a different story. At the end of the New Revised Standard passage it reads "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those whom he favours". The first time I read this it totally blew my mind. Holy crap. The New International Version doesn't do a whole lot better: "Peace to men on whom his favour rests". It just about floored me.
Here is the Christmas story. This beautiful passage in the bible that once again "the church" has taken and turned into a judgemental, hypocritical, "God's love is only for us" bunch of junk.
Seriously can you imagine if they changed Tiny Tim's "God bless us everyone" to "God bless us... those of us he likes"?
When it came time for this passage to be read in church, one year, I specifically asked if I could read it for the service. I knew how upset my Mom was that this wording had been changed. I can rant and rave about how offended I am by the change in the ending, but she loves the Christmas story so much. It was more important for her that it be read right.
Our church didn't have a copy of the King James bible so rather than read the new edited text I recited the passage just like Linus. Though I was tempted to say "And that's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown" in place of "The word of the Lord", I managed to behave myself.
My Mom tells me that it doesn't even bother her to hear the new version read in church again, she just thinks of me doing it for the congregation.

Merry Christmas, and god bless us EVERYONE

There's a 6:30 in the morning now?

Old Christmas memories later, new ones now.

I couldn't log in last night to post, and thus, despite my best efforts, Andrew beat me to posting about the concert. Since most people that read mine will have already read his, I'll be brief.

Here's my two cents. Since this was only the second time I'd seen DMB I was a little bit more enthusiastic. I was also desperate to hear #41 live, but my highlights also included Crash (which I'd never heard in concert) and Ants Marching (which I can never get sick of live). I suspect my enthusiasm for the band will decrease as well, but for now I'm just thrilled to have finally seen them since I became a real fan and to see them with someone who can turn "Satallite" and "Proudest Monkey" into restaurant related puns. Like the Rootman my highlights tended not to come from the set list.
The fact that they played everything we wanted along with everything we didn't want kind of added to the experience. We could totally dig the amazing stuff and then simultaniously bitch about the new crap ("I liked this song a lot better when it was called Halloween"). Bitterness is fun... but so is Crash.

PS: Special Award of the Weekend goes to Jenny for casting The Rock as an entrepeneur in the next Blockbuster smash hit of the Parry Sound area.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Now is the winter of your discontent!

Taking a quick study break to post.

I was thinking about not studying for Shakespeare at all. I just got my last Theatre History test back. I didn't start studying for this thing until an hour before the test, and I finished writing before almost anyone else in the class. I got 85%, and there is no way that I can possibly justify this as a mark. I think Ian might have been high when he marked these.

At any rate, here is story the third:

3.
At three years old my ability to memorize large quantities of useless information, was quite possibly even more powerful. My mother recorded me reciting "T'was the Night Before Christmas" at this tender age. Now I'm sure this will come as a great shock to everyone reading this, but as a child I was a little hyperactive, and (to say the least) a touch dramatic. I ran around my house acting out the poem and putting every colour of the vocal spectrum into the words (not knowing what at least half of them meant I'm sure). Not a Christmas goes by that we don't have to listen to the tape of my performance- A Christmas tradition that will haunt me the rest of my life, but that I can't help but be a little proud of ;)

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Holly

I told my mother that I was posting random Christmas moments all the way up to the 25th of December and she said that it was "kind of like an Advent Calendar... with out the chocolates".

2.
As mentioned in a recent post, a month before Christmas when I was in grade 11 a friend of mine passed away from a battle with cancer. Two days later my Grandma's dog, who I was very attached to, also died from a cancerous tumor. My grandma's dog was named Red (after the Fraggle) and had been her only companion at her home for 10 years. The holiday season was off to terrible start, but a few days later my Mom and I came up with an idea to help my Grandma. We bought her a dog for Christmas. My mom brought the puppy home and got me to look after it for an afternoon while she was out. I sat cuddled up with this tiny puppy watching Christmas specials for hours, and I remember thinking how amazing it was. Here was this new life resting on my chest (I could feel her heart beat). She had come into the world just as others had left. I don't know if can really explain it... I can't really do the feeling justice.
Her name is Holly, and I still try to steal her and bring her back up to Sudbury when my family isn't looking.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Tiz the Season

It's official. I have hung the Christmas decorations. One full month of merriment and joyous yuletide has commenced!
While this weekend will primarily consist of studying for exams, I am hoping to squeeze in a little shopping here and there.
This should prove to be an excellent holiday season. Because I was so extremely good this year (or at least I seem to have deceived the fat man in the red suit)I am getting my present early :D
Next weekend I will be in Toronto seeing the Dave Matthews Band, which will also put me in the general area of Hamilton (specifically York) to decorate the Christmas tree.
I also now have a DVD player on my computer to enjoy the DVDs my brother made me of Christmas Specials, and I have my own copy of "It's a Wonderful Life" which I seem to remember I have to force a few people to see.
And to put the icing on the gingerbread house, my cousin Lorraine is coming up from Florida to see a real Canadian Christmas (hopefully we can provide her with some snow- though if she were coming right up to Sudbury I'm sure there'd be no problem).

I am adding a new segment to my blog :p
For the month of December I will post random favourite Christmas memories. In no particular order-
1.
Scott will appreciate the following script:

(LIZ is carefully decorating cookies slowly and methodically. She drops a sprinkle on the wrong part of the icing)
LIZ: Oh shit!
(DAD and SCOTT look up)
LIZ: I mean... Merry Christmas!

THE END

maybe you had to be there...

ANYWAYS!

Here's to a month of family and friends and another year of great moments.

Friday, November 25, 2005

(in Louis Anderson voice) "Alright!"

Disclaimer: written at age 16 thus written in Grade 11-ametre (rhyming couplets and a bouncy rythm)

I'll stare up at the clock one day
and remember there was a time
I could tell you all this mushy stuff
and it didn't have to rhyme

I'll remenisce with all our friends
about memories and share
but nothing will ever be the same
because we won't have you there

I'll see a snowflake falling
or wind blowing past a tree
I'll think of you in heaven Jay
I hope you think of me

I'll keep cheering for the Leafs
and they'll keep losing too
Maybe I'll even see that game
I was supposed to see with you

I'll dance with other guys
but they might not let me sing
I'll never forget what you've meant to me
I didn't close my eyes, I didn't miss a thing.


Jason Uberig (1983-1999)


If it's of any help to anyone- it is difficult for a while. But it does get easier. Now when I remember stuff the sad feelings get replaced by a nice warm fuzzy feeling. Anything that can make me smile when I hear Aerosmith has to be a pretty powerful warm fuzzy feeling.

For Jay: "I'm Liz Buchanan, I'm the smartest person in the world!"

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Happy Birthday Snooty Chuckle-Face!

The following in excerpted from a children's book, "Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot Professor Poopypants" by Dave Pilkey, in which the evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names...
1. Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name:
a = snickle
b = doombah
c = goober
d = cheesey
e = crusty
f = greasy
g = dumbo
h = farcus
i = dorky
j = doofus
k = funky
l = boobie
m = sleezy
n = sloopy
o = fluffy
p = stinky
q = slimy
r = dorfus
s = snooty
t = tootsie
u = dipsy
v = sneezy
w = liver
x = skippy
y = dinky
z = zippy

2. Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name:


a = dippin
b = feather
c = batty
d = burger
e = chicken
f = barffy
g = lizard
h = waffle
i = farkle
j = monkey
k = flippin
l = fricken
m = bubble
n = rhino
o = potty
p = hamster
q = buckle
r = gizzard
s = lickin
t = snickle
u = chuckle
v = pickle
w = hubble
x = dingle
y = gorilla
z = girdle


3. Use the third letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:
a = butt
b = boob
c = face
d = nose
e = hump
f = breath
g = pants
h = shorts
i = lips
j = honker
k = head
l = tush
m = chunks
n = dunkin
o = brains
p = biscuits
q = toes
r = doodle
s = fanny
t = sniffer
u = sprinkles
v = frack
w = squirt
x = humperdinck
y = hiney
z = juice


I would be Zippy Chuckle-Face... though I suppose if you wanted to get really technical it would be Dorky Chuckle-Face.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Some fun pictures

My blog is looking a little overly-wordy at the moment. And since my wordiness lacks substance at the best of times, I thought it would be good to add some fun pictures to my blog. This is the first thing you get when you type "fun" into a google image search:










This is the second...










Hey go to Torren's band's website.
Thanks for looking out for me Torren. You made my night last night.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Me again :)

Just a quick post about the parital return of my sanity.

Three incredibly good mood things:

1) I am now offically the TA for Acting I! Bet you didn't know you could start TAing a class almost half-way through. Well you never know until you try.

2) Tomorrow is my Shakespeare scene with Josh :D I love Josh.

3) I think this show might actually be ready to open on Friday night.

Take note I didn't specify which Friday night and/or of what month.


Anyways, the point is that after a few days of not necissarily being "well adjusted" or maybe not "communicating coherrently" or "thinking things through before I say them" (maybe I can't "reach all the parts of my body" or I don't "own a toothbrush")my head is now screwed on straight. Or at least as straight as it has ever been.

*I think I should go back through all of my posts and track the number of times I say "anyways" "at any rate" or "the point is". It might be a good exercise to improve my writing.

Friday, November 11, 2005

A few important discoveries made tonight:

1) The Coppercliff bus does not transport one to the school

2) Dry cereal straight from the box is a perfectly reasonable dinner

3) It is not a good idea to try to build an entire kitchen for a set one week before the show opens

4) Either my acting talent is fantastic or I come across as being much more plausibly pathetic/insane than I thought

5) Inhaling paint fumes for long periods of time can have lasting effects

6) I come up with better ideas for how to fix set problems after inhaling paint fumes for long periods of time

7) A hand-held drill is easier to operate at 1:45am

8) Having only one week before opening and having half a set finished, seems less painful at 2am

9) It's not a good idea to start at the side and built the set across the stage... otherwise Bill will try to strangle you...

10) It is in fact possible to be too tired to go to sleep

Thursday, November 10, 2005

stuff

OK I didn't get around to publishing this until today, but I'm not changing the answers so here's what I thought about things yesterday afternoon at around 4:30-

10 Favorites...
Favorite Color: red
Favorite Food: Quizznos Veggie sub
Favorite Band: Dave Matthews Band (is it too early to start the count-down? 24 days)
Favorite Movie: Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail
Favorite Sport: Hockey
Favorite Season: the Christmas season. Not the rest of winter
Favorite Day Of the Week: Tuesday
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Prailines and Cream
(There are only 8 "tens"...?) yes why is that?

9 Currents...
Current Mood: Much better than I have been
Current Taste: neutral
Current Clothes: jeans, sweater vest (which make Angelo and I look especially cool today), and some socks I've only worn a couple of times since their last wash
Current Computer: My home computer
Current Finger/Toenail Color: natural
Current Time: 4:49
Current Surroundings: My happily postered room
Current Annoyance(s): in brief- not being a very capable production manager+my inability to find all but the crappiest jobs in the city of Sudbury+the summer of 2005 AKA The summer that won't fricken end
Current Thought: I should probably be doing something right now...

8 Firsts...
First Best Friend: John Hunter
First Screen Name: I think it was "Lizonline"
First Pet: Mokey
First Piercing: ears
First Crush: Donny Reid
First Music: oldies 1150! My first concert was The Beach Boys :)
First time you flew in a plane: Going to Disneyland when I was 8.

7 Lasts
Last Cigarette: N/A
Last Drink: water... mmmm Thorneloe filtered water
Last Car ride: Home from work last night (thanks Joe!)
Last Text Message: N/A
Last Movie Seen: Shania, A Life in 8 Albums. Don't ask.
Last Phone call: To get a ride home from work last night... thanks Joe...
Last CD Played: a mix CD I made and entitled "Soothing"

6 Have You Ever....
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Friends: I am dating one of my best friends :)
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Uh-huh
Have You Ever Been Arrested: Not yet.
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: I have a pool- of course!
Have You Ever Been on TV: Yes, I was recently on the news saying that I was too lazy to exercise EVEN though it could save my life! argh...
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: yes

5 Things....
You Did Last Night:
1. 4:30-6 worked on the set
2. 6-7 Attended rehearsal
3. 7-11 worked
4. 11:05 missed my bus
5. 11:35 got a ride home and went to sleep... I don't know if I mentioned this but thanks Joe...

4 Places You've Been Last...
1. The bus
2. Shakespeare class
3. The library
4. The computer lab

3 People You Can Tell Anything...
heh heh... yeah... I'm with Angelo on this one
1.
2.
3.

2 current loves...
1. coffee
2. caffiene

1 last song played...
Guitar Song-Hayden

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Warning! -Code Red and Green

I will try to do this as briefly as possible.

This is mostly so that you can be prepared to duck and cover.
The next pseudo-intellectual wanna-be cynical jackass that tries to pass off “Christmas decorations go up way too early” or “Christmas is so commercial” as their own unique original thought may be the victim of a swift kick to the head. Enough is enough. It's not a new idea anymore, and you're not bringing me down with you.
I mean I completely agree that the commercialization of Christmas is bad, but I take it as my challenge to find something meaningful in the holiday season that’s separate from shopping and gift giving. And what is so bloody awful about having decorations up in November? It is kind of early yes, but is it really so bad to have pretty lights and colourful displays all around downtown for a couple of extra weeks?


Hmm if only someone could make up a Christmas special about someone who is so distraught over the commercialization of Christmas that he loses sight of the meaning himself. But then he finally learns what Christmas is truly about and is surrounded by his family and friends… perhaps around a Christmas tree humming Hark the Herald Angels sing. If only...

Pardon my sarcasm. I really love this holiday, it means a lot to me, and I think sometimes people bash it because it’s fashionable to do so.
I can totally have a sense of humour about it (Family Guy’s Rudolph: Classic), but please stop trying to convince me that I’ve been brain washed by corporate America or that I have a lower IQ because I happen to be able to find joy in the month of December. And yes... even parts of November.

PS: Everytime I do this I swear I'm done editorializing, maybe I should stick to random inside jokes and surveys for everyone's sake.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Things I'm going to buy when I get my first $8/hour movie contract

In a theoretical world, I would be studying.

But in this real world, I am blogging about my lack of initiative to study.

I spent the better part of my day being an "additional background performer" (which is a fancy way of saying extra) in a Canadian film shooting here in Sudbury. This was seriously one of the funnest days of my life. Top five for sure. What can I say? I'm a list maker. mmmmmm High Fidelity :)

Anyways, let's re-rail.

Since I actually made a little cash on the gig today I have decided to purchase something from my list of "things that I'm going to buy when I get my first $10million movie contract". I think it's only fair now that I've made 1/3125000 of that in my first gig to put a small dent in my list. Hmm I should go back and check it...

Oh well back to trying to understand Melodrama. Oh yeah and studying for my theatre history test. ha ha ha... yeah that was definatly only funny to me...

Friday, November 04, 2005

Waiting for the bus

I have a little time to kill before the bus comes to take me away from work.

I was REALLY dreading coming in tonight. Did anyone else find that the weather and general atmosphere of the day sucked the life out of them? Maybe that's a little melodramatic...

My shift did however have it's bright spots: It wasn't overly busy, I did not work with any crazy or annoying co-workers and I got a visit from this guy.

Sorry about the pic I couldn't resist.
If it makes you feel better... I can do a sommersault!

PS: Your skill in the art of hugging does not go unnoticed.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

No time to blog!

"But Liz," you say, "How will we get to hear your witty and wonderful thoughts on things if you don't take the time to write in your online journal?"

Or at least that's what I like to think you say. I kind of suspect it's, "Well there's one less time I have to hear one of these stupid stories."

Back to "Uncle Tom's Cabin". I don't want to write the quiz without having read the play and only get 7/10.

Oh Theatre History :P

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Closing my eyes and hoping that things will just magically get done

In my nerdy IMDbing ways I came a across a pre-production movie that was supposed to star Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet (two of my favouritist of favourite actors) called "Gnomeo and Juliet" about an indoor gnome and an outdoor gnome who fall in love. Apparently the project has been canned. I think this is incredibly sad, there aren't anywhere near enough gnome movies. I mean certainly there are some wonderful gnome moments in movies (Amelie and The Full Monty notably), but I was really looking forward to gnomes as central characters.

I think I might have to pick the project up as a live action movie starring my indoor gnome, Chomsky. I will need a female gnome (who I could supply the voice for) and a male actor for Gnomeo's voice. I will be in talks with Ewan's agent as soon as possible.

Actually, if I can get Ewan I might not use the gnomes at all...

At any rate! Blogging has become a wonderful way for me to feel as though I'm accomplishing something, when in fact I'm simply procrastinating. Back to memorizing.

Polka-Dot Door

I had a series of the strangest dreams last night. All of them revolving around the central theme of finding my friend, who had mysteriously disappeared and feeling extremely guilty (long story).

Then in one of the dreams I had on this hideous puprle polka-dot shirt. I kept trying to take it off, but everytime I removed it there was another one underneath.



I wonder if there's a meaning behind that? Or if I should stop drinking Northern at the Townehouse...

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Look at me, judge me by my size do you?

Sweet! I am already in full Jedi attire despite the obvious fact that I won't be going out for at least another 5-6 hours. I couldn't possibly care less.

After pulling a solid 16 hour day yesterday, I am left baffled at how certain friends of mine are able to do this up to five days/week. It's entirely possible that they are super human. Or that I'm a lot lazier than I like to think.
No... it's the super humans that are wrong.

YOUR STAR WARS NAME: ( first 3 letters of your last name+ last 3 letters of mothers middle name /+/ first 3 letters of your pets name + first 3 letters of the town you live in)= Buclen Mogsud

I much prefer Liz Kenobi.


"sigh, if only I could be with Liz... but attachment is forbidden in the Jedi order"


oh man... I have actually become the world's hugest nerd.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Something of Value to Say

What a great day!

I am finally home after my strange and fun-filled day.

It started this morning (naturally) with a trip to see Josh to work on our scene for Acting II. In three hours we managed to run the scene four times, and spend 2 hours having some really great Josh-Liz time. It was most enjoyable.
I went to go check on set construction and it was sort of as though everyone at Thorneloe had been teleported away. I've never seen that place so empty. And there was the set, not even half done sitting there, waiting to be built. I have no idea where everyone went, or when on earth we are going to have this thing done by, but there it is. I waited for about a half an hour (OK maybe 20 minutes, I really wasn't in the mood) and then I took off to go home and try to get some stuff finished.
I made the executive decision when I got home to go visit the Laughing Buddha. Mostly this girl. We had a nice chat about how she really ought to SM Hamlet :P and how wrong it is to steal costumes from Thorneloe. waves hand You don't need to know where I got this robe.

Then I spent the evening doing a haunted house run by the school for the United Way. I spent 5 hours screaming as though I were possessed by demons. While not my strongest acting performance (I could just hear Val going "Centre your voice Liz" "Are you ACTING possessed or BEING possessed?") I did get the chance to make some children cry, and possibly send them to therapy in their adulthood for psychological trauma.

I am sleepy now. And I have a big day of Jediing ahead of me.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Censorship

I found an interesting article about a school banning students from having blogs.

Here's the thing. Anyone who puts up in-depth sexual information and measurements on their blog along with any kind of personal contact information ought to be stalked by preditors. I'm sorry but seriously.

Who puts their measurements on their blog anyways? Better question. Who even tells anyone their REAL measurements anyways, let alone online.

Fine you can say "But they're just kids". See I was 14 once too, I do remember. But I was 14, not stupid. I knew enough not to tell strangers my phone number and address when I was 3.

Now granted as I type this there could be some dude who cut and pasted my head from the picture on my blog and put it on some naked chick's body on some random porn site. I accept that risk, and given that there are only about 5 people who regularly visit my blog, and only about 4 of them are likely to do that kind of thing :P I'm not really that worried. But see if it happens, it won't make me think that all blogs forever should be shut down because they're evil. I'll learn my lesson and accept that that's what happens sometimes, because that's the risk of putting pictures up on the internet.

Could we start taking SOME personal responsibility again, instead of punishing the masses for individual stupidity? Seriously.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Online Artistry

Watch me create my work of art. Or something. I actually kind of like this. Keep in mind it's hard to control brush strokes and splatter with a mouse and a series of clicks.

I've been having a really tough time drawing since I got tendinitis in my wrist this summer. I already had a bit of trouble keeping my hand steady and now it's gotten a lot worse. I haven't really drawn anything in a while. Unlike the guitar, this is not just simply a laziness/using my wrist as an excuse issue. It actually feels very strange not to be able to keep my hand steady and it's extrememly frustrating when I'm trying to draw something that I know I'm capable of drawing, but I can't.

Thanks for the link Luke. It's not often that I get to play with paints and not have to clean up a huge ass mess or be $50 in the hole.

Green Eggs and Hamlet

I wonder if Ian would ever forgive me if I did a student production of this?

I would not could not kill the king. I would not poison anything.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

If you ever mistook me for someone of intelligence...

Ah yes, and now it's time for that post that many of you probably knew was inevitably coming at about this time today.

I'm an idiot. Oh yes.

Robert Munch was infact not at the school doing his storytelling/booksigning today. No, he was here yesterday. When I finally double checked my ticket upon arriving at the empty Frasier Auditorium today at 1pm I saw "Saturday October 22nd" printed quite clearly across it.

"But Liz," you might ask, "How could you forget to double check the date and time for the opportunity to hear the author of your all time favourite book, and one of your childhood heroes speak... Not to mention the chance to have that very book that you've owned since your childhood signed by the man himself... And never mind the possiblity of meeting the man who wrote the story that you have recited a thousand times to children at camp and made your personal camp counselor 'thing'... How Liz could you forget to check your ticket?"

Because I'm a huge fricken idiot.

I'm going home now, to go and read my Dave Matthews Band tickets at least sixty times to make sure I haven't gotten anything wrong. Then I am eating a lot of ice cream and hugging my Annie doll.

Happy Day



WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I'm off to meet Robert Munch!

I've Been Drinking and Here's What I Think III: Revenge of the Zinfandale

A few important thoughts:

1. It would be better if I didn't go to see Robert Munch speak tomorrow morning with a hang-over

2. Hi Erica! I didn't know you read my blog until tonight... HI!!

3. Angelo: I remember the picture. And in my current mental state I say post it, I bet I look sexy in it!

4. Stephie makes me smile, she's so great.

5. Again to Erica: I left your pearls somewhere in your room. Thank you for letting me borrow them, they made me feel very fancy. And chaste :)

That is all.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

And finally... The Wedding Story!

Yes that's right, almost four months later... it's the blog about my Aunt's wedding. For those that don't know, this summer my Aunt Bev got married. Her husband, John is the priest at her Church St David's in Welland, which is where they got married.
They got married by the minister at my home parish (who frequently asks if I'm attending services here in Sudbury to which I reply "umm... well there aren't really any Anglican churches nearby"... for people that don't know I go to a school located directly next to an Anglican chapel). At any rate! It was a lovely service and I have a couple of pictures that my Aunt sent me.



This is my brother and I with my Aunt (centre obviously) at the rehearsal dinner.



You see, John is the priest at the church, but he is the groom in this service and Lynn is SUPPOSED to be running everything. My aunt is cracking up because John thinks he's in charge. His children Chris and Julia are the ones in the pews laughing.



I have an issue with this picture. You see when you're in the bridal party people take pictures of you through the ENTIRE service. For 1 and a bit hours you stand and people photograph you from all different directions and I SWEAR I smiled for like 2 straight hours that day. They must have caught me at the ONE second that I wasn't.



This is such a great pic. My aunt looked so beautiful. She had just the perfect dress and she is absolutely glowing in this picture.



Here's me and my fella at the after party. What a cutie pie.

Congrats to my Aunt and John!

PS: For people that know Ian. John grew up in the same area of Hamilton/Dundas as Ian and knew him as a little kid.One time John was in "one of the plays that Ian used to write and put on with the kids in the neighborhood in his basement". Which is probably the cutest thing I've ever heard about Ian.

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Part 2

Part 2 of the list of things I'm going to buy when I get my first $10million movie contract:

-real Ritz crackers, no more of this Equality brand crap

-The Empty Space by Peter Brooke

-In fact, perhaps I'll even invest in my own copy of Acting with Style

-a hole-punch

-a remote control for my VCR

-the services of a seastress to get my pants hemmed (is it so hard to make 28" inseams for a 30" waist?)

-a pair of "character shoes" (I don't actually know what these are, but I hear they're something I ought to have)

-William Shatner's recent CD "Has Been"

-All of the Cheat Commandos Playsets and Toys

-an actual White Stripes poster (instead of just having the pictures from the calendar)

-a bucket for my mop

-finally, something that I might not be able to wait for my movie contract for... The Fraggle Rock Season 1 DVD

There are about three other DVDs that I'm desperate for right now:
Clone High (although I already have these burnt)
Revenge of the Sith (November 2nd I believe)
and Futurama Volume 4 (has all my favourite episodes)

None of these however are quite as vital to my survival as Fraggle Rock. I suppose until then I still have my tapes.


*On that note. Jerry Juhl died a couple of weeks ago. He was a writer for Fraggle Rock, The Muppet Show, Sesame Street and the good Muppet movies. His writing was the heart of the Muppets and Fraggle Rock and I was sad to hear of his passing.


Feel the water flowing.
Feel it coming, feel it going.
In the river, in the rain and in the sky.

One day it's an ocean.
One day ice in motion.
One day it's a tear drop in your eye.

It's just a dream away.
You've got to leave to stay.
We'll meet again someday,
Just a dream away.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Acting Journals

A journal entry about how I don't do my acting journals.

Even though I know that they are beneficial and important to my development as an actor...
I would rather go on the internet and look at funny things.

Because that's the kind of person I am.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Usurped

If it weren't for these quizzes, I'm not sure I'd even have a blog...

1. What high school did you go to?
Cayuga Secondary School

2. What year did you graduate?
2002

3. What was your favorite band(s) or artist(s)?
DMB
Radiohead
The Strokes
... wow look at the tremendous change in my musical taste :S sheesh
OK- what do I not really listen to now?

Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Barenaked Ladies
Great Big Sea
Sloan
The Foo Fighters
Smash Mouth
Sarah Maglaughlin
Alanis Morisette


4. What was your favourite outfit?
whatever was clean

5. What was up with your hair?
short and a little spikey in the back- sort of how I did it in November/December of 2003 for people who knew me then.

6. Who were your best friends?
Dan, Sutor, Emily, Tammy, Trish, Menta and Jason

7. What did you do after school?
Drama

8. Where did you work?
In my last year? Subway

9. Did you take the bus to school?
I actually managed to get the car most days. And the van until I wrecked that. Stupid bee.

10. Who did you have a crush on?
In a three year lapse of all self-respect and intelligence, Ryan.

11. Who did you date?
All kinds of guys... there was ummmm.. *cough krisphobof and *cough befishmimen...

12. Did you fight with your parents?
Yes, but always about totally trivial things

13. Did you ever have detention?
Once. I skipped school to help out with set-up for a student council event. Yes that is the dorkiest detention story ever.

14. What was your favorite subject?
english

15. Who did you have a Celebrity crush on?
oh wow, this is actually more embaressing than Ryan... Ben Affleck

16. Did you smoke?
smoke what?

17. Did you lug all your books in your backpack?
And how. One year I finally got my Toronto Maple Leafs backpack :D

18. What was the best event ever?
The Memorial Baseball Tournaments :p
That I didn't organize: We had a sock-hop in Grade 10 and dressed for the 50s

19. Did you have a clique?
I'm not sure i could have if I'd wanted one

20. Where was your Senior Prom?
An old restored train station in Hamilton

21. Did you have a "Max" like on Saved by the Bell?
Cayuga has a subway, an IGA, a hockey arena and a pizzaria named Chewie's that probably infringes on any number of copyright laws. But that's IT.

22. Were you popular?
No... no... no.

23. Who did you want to be like?
Anyone not living in Cayuga.

24. What did you want to be when you grew up?
a physiotherapist

25. Where did you think you'd be at the age you are now?
I guess finishing my fourth year of biology at Trent, applying to various physiotherapy schools with top marks in my science classes. What can I say? I wasn't that bright.

26. What was the colour of your yearbook?
I can't even describe some of them. They were every colour of the tacky rainbow.

27?

28. What was your school Mascot?
The Warrior. The stereotypically offensive native warrior.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Weblog: Stardate 101205 My five year mission... to have a much more exciting life to write about in five years

I have to confess, I'm a little jealous. My brother has his first credit on imdb. Lucky little bugger.

Hi Ashley! Thank you for visitting :D

Here's a random picture for kicks:

Sunday, October 09, 2005

As Time Goes By

Happy 1,576,800th minute anniversary Jenny and Andrew! May you have another 39,420,000 minutes and more!

And no, I didn't deliberatly log on at midnight to do this, it just worked out that way.


Unrelated: Part 1 of the List of things I'm going to buy when I get my first $10million movie contract.

- 3 pairs of black socks
- a new shower curtain (one with two parts-for inside and outside of the tub)
- a new frying pan
- the $7.99 VHS copy of Coffee and Cigarettes at Hart
- conditioner that costs more than $2.50/bottle
- a television that is adaptable to both VHS and DVD players and does not have rabbit ears or a dial
- a zip-up binder
- some hanging plants for the hanging plants hooks that are all over my ceiling
- decorative pillows for the couches in my living room
- 1 knife, 3 forks and 4 spoons to make a full set of 8 each
- that copy in Chapters of the complete works of Maya Angelou
- an alarm clock that plays music to wake up to instead of beeping loudly
- a ticket to see a non pay-what-you-can performance of an STC production

To be continued...

Happy Tofuturkey Day!

Leave your name and
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
4. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
5. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
6. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
7. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.


Scott
1. You now weigh twenty pounds more than me, and are a little over 6 inches taller
2. movie-Half Baked/song-Pretty Fly for a White Guy
3. Your title is: "Hazardous Waste"
4. Well I don't remember anything before age 5, so I'm going to say, my fifth birthday party
5. monkey (it runs in the family)
6. What's your favourite movie? I've realized I don't know, and that's kind of sad.

Joe
1. You have really great teeth.
2. movie-Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail/song-Wouldn't it be Nice?
3. You and your puny earth questionaire. Our moon questionaires are lightyears ahead of yours.
4. You were sitting playing guitar and singing with Courtney on the picnic table outside the dining hall. You were wearing that greenish hat and a blue T-Shirt.
5. Teddy Bear :D
6. What's a sweet guy like you doin' with a crazy gal like me?

Andrew
1. You're the eleventh Andrew I've known
2. movie-Adaptation/song-obviously R.C., also #41 (live at Luther)
3. awkward silence... So what did you and Liz do all day? We screwed.
4. Much Ado About Nothing- I seem to recall some guy with long hair playing the guitar
5. Hedgehog. If you do end up getting one, it will be one of those pets that are like their owners things.



6. You might have told me this before but... what is your all time favourite song?

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Comes around, goes around

Leave your name and
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
4. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
5. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
6. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
7. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.


If you don't have a blogspot account, send me an email (Liz V and Scott, that's you guys :p)

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Back in Black

This should be the first new post of my now fully functioning Blog.

I kept thinking of things to write about over the last few days, but they've all pretty much escaped me now.

Sin City is a very cool movie. Someone tried to tell me today that it was only good because of the black & white/not-so-random colourization. He was like "If it was the same movie, only fully in colour it would have sucked". Well duh. It was an entire style. Yes the black and white thing was "artsy" but it was in keeping with the accurate following of the comic... sorry graphic novel :) and with the film noire genre. At any rate, very cool movie.

Aha! Now I remember...

WARNING WARNING: INCOMING RANT SESSION
I was watching an episode of the Simpsons on Sunday, it's one of the new ones where the kids at school tease Lisa about her weight until she develops an eating disorder. Comedic moments in the episode feature Lisa refusing to eat, working out compulsively and binging on a giant cake. HILLARIOUS. "In case you couldn't tell I was being sarcastic". Well duh.
The show has been sucking pretty hardcore over the last couple of years, but this was a pretty sad plunge, even for them. It wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't a common social attitude that people having these problems are "weak" or "anti-feminist" as Lisa herself calls it. This isn't a choice that women make. It's an actual medical condition linked to depression and all kinds of other health problems that people have very little control over.
They also portray it as coming from a couple of days worth of two or three kids on the playground teasing her, rather than, what many young girls experience, years of humiliation at school and harassment from parents or other authority figures. One manequin in the mall with unrealistic measurements does not make a person "want to be" anorexic.
I'm sure that someone could make the same argument for the treatment of Homer's alcoholism. This is also a widely misunderstood disease, but at least through Barney's rehabilitation and the odd episode with Homer they treat it with SOME quantity of respect. I suppose they don't treat most things with respect. I guess I'm mostly frustrated with the societal attitude towards this issue. People talk about celebrities like "Oh my god she's so skinny, that is so wrong" as though it's gossip or it's like they just found out they kill puppies.

*breath* breath*

alright ranting done :)


I have to go and finish up my laundry. When I return I will think happy thoughts and have a nice healthy lunch.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

No sleep and no beer makes Liz... something something

So my awesome day was actually made even greater by the Not-To-Big-To-Be-Crappy Players rehearsal being attended by only myself and Liz V. I could have gone home, I could have eaten dinner at home and rested and gotten away from the school I had been at all day before rehearsal tonight. But no. I went to the green room and waited, and waited.

Now I've spent the better part of my day bitching, so I'm going to do my best to bring up some positive things about my day.

1. I got home in time to watch the new CSI, which was not bad.
2. I narrowly averted an encounter with pure evil in the theatre tonight.
3. Torren gave me a copy of his CD that he and his band made which is pretty cool. It's not the kind of music I would normally listen to, but I like lots of it. He has a really great voice, it's kind of punky but it has a really likeable-sweet sort of quality to it.
4. I remembered all the words to my monologue from "The Vagina Monologues", which I had previously forgotten.
5. Every once in a while you find a soul mate who shares something with you that you never thought anyone would share with you. Heather has to be the only other person in the universe who has a saxaphone reed from 8 years ago for no reason at all. This is the strangest random thing I have ever had in common with someone.
6. Erica just called me. I'm in the English Arts club. I'm not an English major, nor do I have any skills with the English language, but I think I'll make a great member.

and last but not least...

I got to give my guy his birthday present a day early :D

Frat Alien: noticing the probe on his head is missing Oh man, my party probe
Frylock: Yeah you stuck it in that lazer, you thought it was a chick
Frat Alien: Did I score?
Frylock: It was a LAZER!

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Tuesday has always been my favourite day of the week

Tuesday was always "Grandma day" :)
When I was too young to babysit myself I had various caregivers after school, and every Tuesday was the day my Grandma came to look after me. I always looked forward to this day, and I still have this attachment to Tuesdays as my favourite day of the week.

Four reasons THIS Tuesday was a great day:

1. Authentic movement in Acting class. Any day with authentic movement is a good day.

2. I bought my Shakespeare text book finally, now I can actually do my readings and, like everyone else, bitch about how all he does is lecture about the readings we should have already done.

3. Free chocolate. mmmm chocolate.

4. Discussing characters in RPGs vs Star Wars characters with Matt. We shared a very special moment when Matt said "Final Fantasy III is better than life". This is too true.

Monday, September 26, 2005

If you thought your town had problems

Courtesy of Yahoo News
Brits driving Austrians bonkers over rude village name

LONDON, (AFP) - British tourists have left the residents of one
charming Austrian village effing and blinding by constantly stealing the signs
for their oddly-named village.

While British visitors are finding it hilarious, the residents of
Fucking, Austria are failing to see the funny side, The Sunday Telegraph newspaper
reported.

Only one kind of crimimal ever stalks the sleepy 32-house village near
Salzburg on the German border -- cheeky British tourists armed with a
sense of humour and a screwdriver.

But the local authorities are hitting back and with the signs now set
in
concrete, police chief Kommandant Schmidtberger is on the lookout.

"We will not stand for the Fucking signs being removed," the officer
told
the broadsheet.

"It may be very amusing for you British, but Fucking is simply Fucking
to
us. What is this big Fucking joke? It is puerile."

Local guide Andreas Behmueller said it was only the British that had a
fixation with Fucking.

"The Germans all want to see the Mozart house in Salzburg," he
explained.

"Every American seems to care only about 'The Sound of Music' (the 1965
film shot around Salzburg). The occasional Japanese wants to see
Hitler's
birthplace in Braunau.

"But for the British, it's all about Fucking."

Guesthouse boss Augustina Lindlbauer described the village's
breathtaking
lakes, forests and vistas.

"Yet still there is this obsession with Fucking," she said.

"Just this morning I had to tell an English lady who stopped by that
there were no Fucking postcards."

Friday, September 23, 2005

One of those kids that gets tagged and then decides they don't want to play anymore

THE RULES: List five songs that you are currently loving. It doesn't matter what genre they are from, whether they have words, or even if they're any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying right now. Post these instructions, the artists, and the songs in your blog. Then tag five other friends to see what they're listening to.

1. What would Brian Boitano Do? - Stan, Kyle and Cartman
2. Pomp and Circumstance - Glen Rose High School's Tiger Pride Band
3. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - The Dolphins
4. At a Medium Pace - Adam Sandler
5. and Because I'm still in 1997

Ok seriously, I'm really enjoying this Thom Yorke/Bjork duo, it's very cool. Also very much enjoying "Under the Gun" by the Killers, "Instinct Blues" by the White Stripes, "American Idiot" by Green Day and "Hunger for the Great Light" by Dave Matthews Band.
I tag Joe... and um... all the people who posted spam comments. Yeah...

On a side note: CBC is showing an incredible film tonight at 11. "My Left Foot" is an amazing movie that I continuously forget to list as a top 10er, but totally is. Daniel Day-Lewis plays a man with CP, and deservingly wins an Oscar for best actor. I highly recommend watching it if you get a chance.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

Here's a brief, somewhat accurate, script of why this is the best day ever:

Susan Moores: There's an envelope here for you Liz
Me: Really? What does it say?
Susuan Moores: It says that you've won the... Montgomery Burns Award... for outstanding acheivement... in the field of... excellence... yes.
Me: Don't I get a fancy awards ceremony and my picture on the wall at Thorneloe?
*Susan looks at Dr Andrews who nods

OK so maybe that's not exactly what happened... but the good news is that at least a small portion of my financial woe has been remedied with a Thorneloe University scholarship. Drinks on me!

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Keep forgetting to mention

By the way- I keep forgetting to mention, since this would be of relevence to most people reading my posts: Barry dropped by Thorneloe yesterday and said to say "hi" to everyone. He's teaching Visual Art and English in Espanola.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Lunch Lady Liz

This is a picture of me at my new job:



Yes, in my latest attempt to have the saddest job in Sudbury I've ventured into the realm of The Greasy. Ironically as a vegetarian all I do at this job in deep-fry chicken and beef and pour massive amounts of gravy on fries.

Woke up in the morning
Put on my new plastic glove
Served some reheated salisbury steak
With a little slice of love
Got no clue what the chicken pot pie is made of
Just know everything's doing fine
Down here in Lunchlady Land

Well I wear this net on my head
'Cause my red hair is fallin' out
I wear these brown orthopedic shoes
'Cause I got a bad case of the gout
I know you want seconds on the corndogs
But there's no reason to shout
Everybody gets enough food
Down here in Lunchlady Land

Well yesterday's meatloaf is today's sloppy joes
And my breath reeks of tuna
And there's lots of black hairs coming out of my nose
In Lunchlady Land your dreams come true
Clouds made of carrots and peas
Mountains built of shepherds pie
And rivers made of macaroni and cheese
But don't forget to return your trays
And try to ignore my gum disease
No student can escape the magic of Lunchlady Land

Hoagies & grinders, hoagies & grinders
Hoagies & grinders, hoagies & grinders
Navy beans, navy beans, navy beans
Hoagies & grinders, hoagies & grinders
Navy beans, navy beans
Meatloaf sandwich
sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe
sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe
sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe
sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe

Well I dreamt one morning
That I woke up to see
All the pepperoni pizza
Was a-looking at me
It screamed, why do you burn me
And serve me up cold
I said I got the spatula
Just do what you're told
Then the liver & onions
Started joining the fight
And the chocolate pudding
Pushed me with all its might
And the chop suey slapped me
And it kicked me in the head
It's called revenge Lunchlady
Said the garlic bread
I said what did I do
To make you all so mad
They said you got flabby arms
And your breath is bad
Then the green beans said
You better run and hide
But then my friend sloppy joe came
And joined my side
He said if it wasn't for the Lunchlady
The kids wouldn't eatcha
You should be shakin' her hand
And sayin' please to meet ya
She gives you a purpose
And she gives you a goal
You should be kissin' her feet
And kissin' her mole
Now all the angry foods
Just leave me alone
And we all live together
In a happy home

Thanks to
sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe
sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe
sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe
sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe

[Spoken]
Well me & sloppy joe got married
We got six kids and we're doing' just fine
Down in Lunchlady Land



On a side note, I just received an email from Dave Matthews Band. I have decided not to get my hopes up, I'm kind of tired of being horribly crushed. APPARENTLY they are going to do a concert in Toronto in December. Which would be fantastic, if I can even go that weekend. It would certainly make up for my concertless summer, and bring a great deal of warmth to my heart. But alas... I refuse to be crushed yet again. Damn you Dave and your on again off again taunting. Why do you tease me so?

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Getting my BS at Laurentian

I see you're reading "Romeo and Juliet". Is that because you think you're dumb? Because you're not. You could read "King Lear" if you wanted.



I kid actually. I like Romeo and Juliet. Not my favourite Shakespeare, but there's actually a lot more there than it seems. And hell there's even a part of me that finds it a little romantic. After all... parting IS such sweet sorrow.

I can't wait to see it at the STC.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Terry Fox Run

I am going to do the Terry Fox run this Sunday. I understand most people reading this are starving students, but if you're able to donate you can pledge online.

Now granted this might turn into the "Terry Fox Light Jog/Crawl" on my part, but I'll do my darndedest.

Thanks.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

The Best Episode of Batman EVER



I was a little worried I had imagined this, but it's true.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Exerpt from "Eloisa to Abelard" by Pope Alexander :p

Oh come! oh teach me nature to subdue,
Renounce my love, my life, myself — and you.
Fill my fond heart with God alone, for he
Alone can rival, can succeed to thee.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd


for the whole poem go here.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Found in Translation

Finally! I actually found a movie both my guy and I can enjoy.
I think it would actually be impossible for anyone not to like Lost in Translation. What an awesome movie. I had been hearing nothing but "What?! You haven't seen it?" for months and I finally rented the darn thing.

I love this movie for so many reasons. I suppose if I wanted to have a focussed well-written blog, I could pick a couple of those and expand on them. Silly me. I thought I was just killing time waiting for the insomnia to wear off.

To start, the acting in the movie is stellar. I think I'm always taken with Bill Murray because he has this ability to be both totally over the top and incredibly subtle whenever needed. He and Scarlett Johannson exchange some of the best "loving" looks in this picture I've seen in any film.
I adore the scene where Bob carries Charlotte back to her room. When he's walking down the hall with her in his arms and there's this inexplicable relationship forming between them.
I love the scene when Bob is filming the commercial and looks into the camera trying to be more "intense".
The scene where Charlotte's husband John is with her having dinner with the actress, is hillarious.

Anyways, to summarize: Great movie. Don't know if I'm that keen to visit Tokyo now though.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Show me the Money

Now I have been very fortunate in life. I have a great family who has been able help me support my acting habit at the university level. But somedays, I just have really crappy luck.
I went to the mall to buy cords today, with what little money I set aside for clothing. The store I was shopping at, because the cords were on sale, (who will remain annonymous because I don't want to advertise for them) did not have my size. Rather than buy a box of Timbits to celebrate obesity, I decided that I didn't really need cords and bought the Special Edition Killer's Hot Fuss album. I don't treat myself to a lot of CDs or crazy expensive things in general, but I thought that since I didn't really need new clothing and the one thing I wanted to buy didn't fit me properly $11.99 for a CD wasn't really that crazy a spending spree.
Sure enough I get home and no sooner do I throw my new CD into my computer *riiiiiip*. My favourite jeans, the only pair that I own that still fit me, ripped. Fucking figures.

PS: If I get any messages about how "insightful" or "interesting" my blog is with links to webpages that actually make my blog look good by comparison... well I don't know what I'll do... but when I think of it, look out!

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Nobody out-crazies Ophelia!

So I thought I was stage managing MacBeth, but apparently it is no longer customary for the Stage Manager to be informed which play they are infact managing. Damn you McLennan!

To audition or not to audition. That is the question. Is it nobler to provide stage management where it is needed? And by doing so not risking the failure of auditioning. And by auditioning face the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. To cry, to lose sleep. To lose sleep perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub. For in that audition what dreams may come if I don't blow it and get stuck with nothing.

For those of your that could not follow my beautiful poetics...

Maybe I'm a bit afraid to audition. Not just because it might mean losing my job as SM, but maybe I'm afraid to not get the part I want so much. I think that there are plenty of other girls that are going to audition for it, and yeah... I'm scared.
Stupid theatre.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

I is a college student

Hooray for going back to school tomorrow!
This is officially the best day of the whole summer.
Actually that's not true. I had a lot of good days this summer. I'm just a very negative person :)
I'm also dying to get out of my apartment because there's an evil monkey that lives in my closet.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Pointless update

As is the case with all of my psychological oddities, I would like to blame my mother for this. I have begun watching CSI compulsively. This show completely fascinates me and I can't actually figure out why. It's kind of bugging me actually. There must be something about it that makes it so addictive.

Also, I have an exciting announcemnet. Well exciting to me, pretty mundane to everyone else. I suddenly realized today that I have not consumed alcohol in 20 days. This doubles my old record. While I suspect that much of this has to do with having been home for quite some time, I am hoping to extend this to one full month. This is not for any special reason, except to counter some claims made last May that I was a little "pathetic" or "alcoholic" because I only managed to go ten days without beer. I had said that I would stop drinking the entire month of May and for some reason I only made it until the next Tuesday.

At any rate. Here's to a year of spending considerably less money on booze and possibly even finding some part time work to support myself- Yay school!

Lisa: I like school
Homer: If you like it so much, why don't you live there?
Lisa: I would if I could

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

My Hero

An actress that I look up to a great deal is Kate Winslet. Not because she's a "heavier actress making it in Hollywood", because she's not. She's a really beautiful actress with an awesome figure and a lot of talent. If I could look like any celebrity in Hollywood it would be her. But you know... she also makes me think that maybe I can be happy looking just the way I am :)



Kate has great quotes about weight and self image:

"I am so not fat. I'm fit. I'm healthy. I feel so much more comfortable this way. For God's sake, don't argue with nature!"

"When I was 18 and 19 and 20, I would weigh myself and write it down in my diary. I'm not that person now. I have that feeling of not caring. I'm just happy being me."

"What is sexy? All I know from the men I've ever spoken to is that they like girls to have an arse on them, so why is it that women think in order to be adored they have to be thin?"




This is a woman after my own heart. A comfy hooded sweatshirt and hair loosely pulled back.




If this is fat, dear god let me be fat!

"Kate Winslet is a beautiful woman. If she put on another 10 pounds, I'd still outweigh her by 50. People just want to make fun of her weight because she got to make out with Leonardo DiCaprio."
Gabrielle Reece, pro beach volleyball player and ex-model

Amen.

Morgan Webb

In an attempt to even things out with my fella I thought I would dedicate a post to his celebrity crush.

How great is this? Unlike most guys in the 18-25 bracket, my guy does not have a crush on Jessica ugly-face Simpson or Brittney sucks-in-bed Spears. No, my ultra cool boyfriend's celebrity crush is Morgan Webb from Tech TV.



She's an extremely smart and sarcastic video game reviewer. She cohosts a show with this guy, Adam Sessler, and they rip apart crappy video games five or six times...an hour on Tech TV. You can seriously watch this station all day and see these guys nonstop.
At any rate. This chick is cool. I'm a little envious. She loves violent video games and racing cars- And I thought I was a tomboy!

Anyways, Morgan Webb: Very cool.

That is all :)

Monday, August 29, 2005

Crush

I have a new celebrity crush.


My recent addiction to Star Wars has led to a serious crush on Ewan McGregor.


So cute.

As is the case with most men, even hotter with facial hair. I wonder if he plays guitar?




Contrary to popular belief these dafodils are not in fact for Sandra Templeton, but for me.



Sorry Jon and Dave, there's a new man in town. And his name is Obi Wan...er I mean Ewan.

I love you Joe :p

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Fear and Loathing in the Brother's Grimm


Okee dokee. So I went to see the Brother's Grimm which, besides giving me nightmares for weeks, will not go down as the best spent $9.75 of my life.

About the nightmares. When I was eighteen I developed an inexplicable phobia, and as a result I swore never to watch Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". I might as well have after yesterday. I missed a good tenth of the movie hiding my eyes and plugging my ears because of all the stupid birds. I'm sure no one else could care less, and as a matter a fact there are a lot of things in that movie that would gross other people out a hell of a lot more... but crows man... everywhere... huge fricken crows.

Alright, weird paranoia aside: The movie is worth seeing for the visuals and to see that Heath Ledger does in fact have some talent. There are some serious inconsistencies in the plot and I felt that they didn't do a very good job of tying the stories together in a very satisfactory way. The woman that they had to play the romantic lead, Lena Headey, did a fair job, but she was essentially forced on Gilliam by the Studio and really didn't suit the part. She's just much too pretty and they don't make any effort to make her as rough around the edges as she ought to be. The ending was a little over the top, and the over use of the "symbolic" words "magic beans" was really grating. The whole thing was poorly paced and the dialogue wasn't very well written. I don't usually write reviews this critically without giving a more thorough analysis... but those birds man... shit.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

The Air Speed Velocity of an Unladen African Swallow

So now that I'm done editorializing (sp?)... you know, some one that spells as horrifically as I do should probably avoid doing editorials.

Tonight I am having a Monty Python fest with my friend Adam from high school. He's probably the only other person who can recite Python at random and knows all the words to the Silver Chair song Miss You Love :P
I was having a particularly crappy day at school last year and Adam sent me this picture of himself re-enacting the dead parrot sketch:




I am hoping to raid the costume area at Thorneloe at some point and get digital photos of myself performing the Spanish Inquisition Sketch... or if I get less ambitious I'll get that great Viking Hat and do Spam.

Ah Yes, and for those reading who would find relevance in this, I will be returning to Sudbury tomorrow at 5pm. Hopefully I will get a chance to see everybody before school starts. If not, take care and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

The Hero

Superman, Spiderman, Batman. We all grew up reading their comic books, watching their cartoons, collecting their actions figures (I was a Ninja Turtles girl myself). Super heroes fascinate us. We all want to be a hero, but when we reach a certain age we find out that kryptonite, mutating ooze and bat-utility-belts are not real. Most of us realize that values that those cartoons were trying to teach us. Integrity, honesty, hard work, compassion, sacrifice are the qualities of heroism. As we grow older we begin to look for these qualities in others to admire, our parents, teachers, community leaders. And every once in a while there are those that embody these qualities on a large scale for a large number of people. These people are deemed heroes. We look for these people, for better or for worse as an inspiration in troubled times, as someone to look up to and admire and ultimately strive to be like.

The trouble with finding real life heroes is that these people are not super powerful mutants or aliens. They are not superman; they are human. Human beings have flaws, it's part of what makes us both horrible and wonderful all at the same time. When we expect our heroes to be above this, to never make a mistake, we will ultimately be disappointed. There are those that thrive on this disappointment. Humanity as a whole has a history of ripping heroes down from the very platform we raised them up to. No one has ever withstood this scrutiny.

The story itself has been the cornerstone of western philosophy. The fate of Socrates and Plato's allegory of the cave suggest that it is human ignorance and fear of enlightenment that cause society to turn on their heroes. More significantly, the story of Jesus and his life seems to be one of human nature. The same people who demanded his crucifixion had once hailed Jesus as a hero. This is part of our western mythology, and has been taught to us for generations, and yet at every turn we find another human being to build up as our saviour and ultimately tear down when they do not meet our expectations.

One of my favourite episodes of the Simpsons is the one where Lisa is doing a report on Jebodiah Springfield. He is the founder of her hometown, Springfield, and renowned as a hero. When researching she discovers that many of the facts about Springfield were actually just myths. The stories had been embellished and Springfield was actually a murderous pirate. Lisa find proof of all this and decides to inform the town on "Jebodiah Springfield" day. But when she sees the town people gathered together celebrating, the children excitedly participating in activities and how happy everyone was enjoying the myth she decided not to tell everyone the truth. I suppose the episode is suggesting that ignorance is bliss, but if that's the case I wonder why more people aren't happy.

In any case, I'm not suggesting that we should stop exploring history, and you know Columbus was a pretty big asshole (aha, I knew my professional style of writing wouldn't hold up this entire entry). But maybe we need to stop using these people as scapegoats for our own unwillingness to try.

I am sure most of you are aware that I am writing this in response to the recent attacks on Lance Armstrong. A tabloid in France is reporting that Armstrong used banned substances to increase his red blood cell count in 1999 to win the Tour de France. Now putting aside the fact that that was six years ago, and the reason he had substances in his body to increase red blood cells might very well have been related to his battle with cancer, let's say he did use this drug. There is no evidence to suggest that he ever used it again, or that he used it for any other reason that to help him gain the edge that had been taken away from him by this horrible disease. He's a human being. Just like you and I. He suffered through cancer, he battled and survived, but he's still human. People make mistakes, and we need to learn to let each other make those mistakes.

Rather than expect Lance Armstrong to be superman, why not take some inspiration from someone who has fought a hard athletic battle and shown tremendous strength in the face of adversity. We should let is help us look at the adversity in our own lives and say "I can overcome this, I can make this a strong positive thing for me". If he turns out to be imperfect then take that as good thing. Let it be a reminder that all of us are capable of greatness, flawed as we are.

None of us are Superman, and we shouldn't expect that of others or ourselves. But the ideals that he stands for, the life that he leads, like all of our heroes should be something that each of us work towards in our own way. Rather than look for "What would Lance do"? Why don't we look at "What can I do to over come the situations in my life" or "What can I do to help another human being"? Have heroes of your own who inspire you and move you to be better person, but know that they are flawed, and that others will try to rip them down. It is the qualities of a hero that make someone great, not their infallibility.

"You are who you choose to be"-The Iron Giant

PS: In the future this blog will be neither preachy, nor in essay format... well at least not in essay format...

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Smithers climb into the Spruce Moose!




Finally all of my money problems have been solved- in the form of legalized gambling. I made $75 today at the Niagara Fallsview Casino.

I'm not really much of a gambler actually (compared to the rest of my family especially) mostly because poverty prevents me from spending any more than $20 on any given day. But it was sort of a family outing (which is a little sad when you think about it), so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
The Casion is pretty cool actually. It's one of the cleanest buildings I've ever been in. There are stores in there with skirts that are worth more than all of my clothes put together.
There's a really cool fountain where the entrance is:




And during the day they have this dude stand around painted head to toe in gold pretending to be a statue. My dad talked me into going over and giving him a tip. The golden man blew me a kiss, which I think is reasonable for a dollar. I wonder what would have happened if I'd put a fifty in there...?

I love Southern Ontario. I miss school though too... is there any way of relocating everyone I care about to one convient location with a reasonable climate? sigh, maybe when I'm a rich stage actor :P

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Book Club

I didn't copy and paste so this might not even be in the right order.

1. Number of books I own: about 34 (including text books)



In my defence I am an avid library girl, so I don't own a lot of novels.

2. Last book I read:



Finally!

3. Last book I bought:



4. Five books that have had a profound impact on my life:



It was a toss up with Not Wanted on the Voyage actually, but I didn't want to be a copy-cat.







and most of all:




5. The only five people I can really think to tag have already been tagged by Andrew. I can still get Aimee and Erica if they are reading this... oh and Joe should he decide to blog :p

Happy reading!

Thursday, August 18, 2005

We are such stuff as dreams are made on

So tomorrow I get to go and see THE TEMPEST! ...which I was fortunate enough to get to perform in at Thorneloe this summer. I will be going to see William Hutt as Prospero in his second "farewell to the stage". My brother and I are taking advantage of our youth and studentdom by going to see the show for, get this, $20. That's all!

I'm also seeing a friend of mine from long ago and far away. When I was working at Lakewood Easter Seal Camp here in Ontario Clark was my first fellow counselor/friend. We did CIT together and worked together the entire time we were at Lakewood. When we both decided it was our last summer there we were both about to go away to University and were both beginning relationships with people that we are still with to this day (Joe and I still have them by 4 days lol).
Clark was also the one who started what is now my unhealthy obsession with Dave Matthews Band, and was the one who started my compulsive need to say Boo-urns. It's been way too long since we hung out, so I'm extra excited to go.

I will take some digital photos while in Stratford and post them asap.

Monday, August 15, 2005

When it becomes cheaper to simply move home and eat their food...

So I'm back home again for the fourth time this summer. This only seems like a lot when you consider that I only went home twice during the entire school year.

I'm here getting ready for school, eating properly to fix up my tummy, spending time with my family who I have to confess I miss quite a bit, and ultimately collecting my thoughts.

While at home I am going take this unique opportunity to finish writing my play. I have been working on this sucker for a year now. I lost the majority of my work when my computer buggered out on me last month. I am now determined however to finish writing it. I don't know what will become of this thing, if anything, but it's something I've been meaning to do.

Being home means I get to watch Fraggles too :P

Favourite Fraggle Rock episode: The Duet-a-thon

Favourite Duet-a-thon quotes:

"Just because something's always been, doesn't make it right, does it?" -Wembley

"What's dragon slaying got to do with violence?" -Red

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Madness

Please go and read this:

http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4482.html

It is written by Marc Emery, who I'm sure you've all learned by now may spend the rest of his life in prison in the United States for selling Marijuana seeds.
This is a serious issue for all Canadians. Medicinal marijuana, freedom of speech, and Canada/USA relations are all at stake here. We can not allow the Canadian government to do this to these people. Please write your MP. Here is Diane Marleau's email address: Marleau.D@parl.gc.ca

Remember "Some arrogant government can't by any stretch of the imagination outlaw a plant"- Ani DiFranco

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Liz is...

So I went to this site that Luke had a link to. It's a search engine that comes up with things from the internet... it's hard to explain.

Check it out.

Here are my favourites for "What is Liz?"

Liz is working on her urge to eat ice cream for dinner every night.
Liz is available for speaking engagements anywhere in the USA and Western Canada.
Liz is the woman/wife that God desires all women to be.
Liz is reading this summer.
Liz is the sort of woman who is on intimate terms with her own unhappiness.
Liz is one of the newest additions to the Texans cheerleaders.
Liz is telling the truth for once in her life.
Liz is really bossy and pushy.
Liz is a trainee dolphin interpreter.
Liz is STILL BETTER THAN THAT COW.
Liz is currently working on her new album.
Liz is an active member of Northwest Bible Church.
Liz is an outstanding young woman whose tireless dedication to the theatre and...
(at least they got one right sort of right:P)

Liz is SUPPOSED to be reading this summer. I have made it through 3 books since April. One of them shouldn't have even qualified as a book. Don't get me wrong GenX was excellent, but it wasn't exactly time consuming or even particularly challenging to read. Bugger... that's what I should do tonight... after I watch Return of the Jedi... again.