Podworld News

I think this will be the last show I do stage crew on for a while. The time spent on it is one thing, and it's one that is vaguely annoying though live-able (like commuting, sort of). I enjoy working together with others to create something, even something as short lived as a play in community theater. The frustration level that I've had at moments with this one is just a bit more than I'd like to deal with in my hobbies (because yes, that's what this is). For now we're ignoring the pay-for-painting gigs, because in my mind those really are separate.

Anyway, all I'm saying is that if you are a director, you should try to not antagonize the crew. An annoyed crew does not benefit anyone, least of all you. If you have a competent crew (and one would hope you do), you should recognize that and adjust your nervousness in another direction. Also, you should recognize that yes, mechanical things do actually go wrong, and no, there's nothing you or anyone else, in your mini-godhood, can do about it. And for god's sake, whatever god it is you believe in, do try not to repeatedly say things over headset that are obvious to everyone involved, because I'm coming close to either walking out or throttling you. If something doesn't happen as it should, there's a reason for it, and you need to accept that.

To be fair, I've been trying to cut this director slack. He's very young. He's done a good job with the rest of the show. It's a good show. And so I've avoided confronting him at all, except for 2 slightly snarky comments over headset. One was when a paint can filled with sand (yet inexplicably not sealed) fell 12' or so to the ground, spilling sand both backstage and a bit on stage. Luckily I was standing under the other one that didn't fall. Now, how someone (someone being a director) could actually think that somehow the people standing there working wouldn't've noticed that, or that they'd neglect to figure out why, how to fix it, and what to do in the interim, is a bit beyond me. No, I didn't notice the can of sand hit the ground near me, and furthermore, I don't plan to do anything about it, bwahhaha!!! Seriously, we all want the show to go well and be the best it can. Why would someone doubt that?

I guess what this comes down to is trust. He's new to it, he can't trust that the people working for him are competent and know what to do. It's a skill all managers need to learn before they go insane, and he's obviously not got that down yet. But understanding that doesn't improve my attitude very much.

Maybe it's just that I don't understand some kinds of anxiety very well. Like how many people are nervous before exams. I rarely, if ever, was. Because it was pointless... either I knew the material or I didn't, either I could prove that or I couldn't. For me, the middle ground was very small. Yes, the exam itself could be aimed in an unexpected direction, I might not have focused as much as I should have on some topic, but worrying about it was never something I felt was worthwhile. And honestly, if I did badly, it was generally my own fault. (okay, for background, I'd like to point out that I only finished an undergrad degree, so I never had the experience of quals or dissertations or anything like that)

I can understand things don't always go the way you'd want, in a show, in an exam, in life. Things don't go how I want sometimes. But how you deal with that disappointment says something. If you react by being a drama queen... well, that's nice, but there might be a throttling in your future. Try not to lose touch with reality... something that doesn't always work 100% is not suddenly going to become 100% successful. It's not. That's life. Deal. Don't act surprised. And for jebus' sake, shut the hell up!!! ;)

Two words: Fucking Brilliant

( And here is where I expound slightly )

And in other news... not sure yet if I'm getting the podmobile back today. I do know how much it's going to cost though... $689. Bastard!!!

Oh, and straif... I know what that noise is now.

Please, someone, anyone, (in the area) I need a ride after work today from a train station (I generally come into Jersey Ave, but I can go to any station on the Northeast Corridor) to either my mechanics (if, that is, my car is fixed, which is possible, but who knows the likelihood... I'll maybe explain about the podmobile's latest issues later) or to my house. Please? Please please? It's really far to walk. Like, at least 6 miles to the mechanic, probably 10 to my house. Please? Someone? Anyone? Please? I'll be eternally grateful. I'll make dinner. Or buy dinner. Or something. Please?

I am such an idiot... I planned to work tonight at home. Emailed myself the files I needed to work on, but for some reason it just didn't work. Now, the last time, I checked and made sure it worked before I left for the day. But did I today? Nooooooo. Pain in my ass. Seriously.

Oh, and a few informative addendums to yesterday's poll...
1. The US post office is actually in the basement of one of the two buildings. Oddly enough, all of our mail, for BOTH buildings, goes into the one that doesn't have the post office, then is sorted and distributed.

2. A skybridge is a term (perhaps not a common one, but who knows... I mean, it's not in the dictionary) that refers to a pedestrian bridge between buildings. Sometimes they look like those plastic tubey things you get for hamsters. Ours doesn't look like that.

3. Most (but not all) of the people who found this normal live in cities. Odd, that.

4. I work on EARTH!!!!!

Thank you.

I was going to post something deep and introspective, about when I moved to NJ the last time, and why, the thoughts themselves having been sparked by hearing a song on the radio, but then I decided to work for an hour. Instead I'm going with the random item update.

I'm plugging along at work. I decided a 'to do' list was the way to go, so I made one, then realized that even if I didn't actually have to answer all 12 or so of our phone lines, I still probably couldn't easily finish it all this week. But maybe I'm wrong. Let's hope I'm wrong. Really.

I got my mp3 player back... and once again, it wasn't fixed. And in fact, they'd actually wrecked the ac adapter this time. I was most assuredly not happy. So it went back again today. They claimed that this time they're just going to replace the whole thing. So.

My parents came to visit last weekend. It was good. I love my parents... most of the time. :) My father had some issues with my lack of cable television... because he couldn't watch Fox News. I told him he'd get used to it, given time, but it was a hard time for him, I could tell. I did mention that they were more than welcome to get cable for me. Oddly, they didn't go for that one, not sure why... ;)

Before that, on the weekend of the 4th, several people came to visit. I was rude, and ignored some in favor of others, but I think it was perhaps less obvious than I think. I also made some new converts to the church of DDR.

Oh! And all thanks be given to my parents... I finally have a new pair of sneakers!!!

And I did something silly... I agreed to crew for a local theater production. A teenagers local theater production. Yeah, I'm not sure why either.

Sometimes I think if I'm too sarcastic. Like today, when I told someone the following... "Let me just get that out of the file I keep for people who I've already talked to multiple times about issues, but think will still call back."

On the plus side, he wasn't offended, I guess the tone I use kind of negates the harshness, but still. I should try to be nicer.



Earlier today, I was on a train (like I am every workday). On the train, there's a train line map of NJ. Stuck onto it straddling Monmouth and Middlesex counties was a stickman with a triangular head, looking vaguely worried. I do like stickman art. It made my morning.

Yesterday I was ready to lay the smackdown at work. I thought about making a sign that said, "If you mention the use of sunscreen to me, I will have to kill you." See, I got sunburnt pretty badly (for me) on my back. Now, what's interesting about this is that I not only used sunscreen (though perhaps I should get a new bottle, or a stronger one, or reapply more, or have someone else help) but I also had a life-vesty thing on. So basically, the sunscreen probably rubbed off inside the vest, and somehow the sunrays went down the back of the vest and burned me (and given that I'm burned worst in the middle, I guess this is a likely scenario). It's made me doubt whether I should really spend a lot of time at the pool this weekend though. But anyway, what kills me about this at work is that people keep saying, "You know, you should use sunscreen." As if I'd just forgotten. No, no, I really didn't, and thank you so much for your concern. I also got burnt on the insides of my knees, from the paddle leash hitting them repeatedly.

But on the plus side, I went about 4 miles in my sit-on-top, with a huge group of people down at Somers Point (about 10 miles away from Atlantic City... who knew AC was less than 2 hours away (and keep in mind I had a kayak on my car, so I wasn't speeding all that much (which was painful, people were passing me like I was standing still, it was sad))). Paying attention to the bulletin boards for South Jersey kayaking thingys has definitely paid off. I had a great time and met lots of people, people who like to kayak! For a while now, I'd been cursing the fact that most of my friends don't, but hopefully this'll kind of remedy that too. Plus, not being from around here, I don't know the good places to go, and I haven't put time into figuring it all out.

But anyway, I'm actually wondering now if there's any way to rent one of the little lipstick sit-on-tops. I love my boat, but I doubt its actual surfing ability after the beating I received last year, and I think next time I go out I'd like to go surfing. It's been a year since the last time!

And in other kayaking news, I really should join that free place in NYC. I've heard you can only take stuff out for short times, but it'd be cool to be able to do it after work and before class.

I don't have a kayaking icon... maybe I should make one sometime soon...

This actually came out of another conversation, but it'd take too long to explain, so just read the questions and answer according to your gut feelings.

[Poll #312575]

My stereo is possessed. I know, I've said this before. But it's developed a new problem (in addition to deciding which cds and tracks it will agree to play, and to the volume knob working backwards most of the time).

So picture it... this morning, 12:25 a.m. I wake up, thinking I hear voices nearby. I then realize it sounds like the Devlins cd that's in my stereo. I get up, fumble through the dark to the living room. The stereo is playing by itself, apparently somehow the alarm clock setting on it got turned on. No, it didn't somehow accidentally turn on. This thing is possessed and annoyed at me. I know this now. Because you know what? My other appliances don't wake me up at half past twelve.

Why does it torment me???

And in other music related news, I sent my mp3 player back again today. Cross your fingers...