Clear Tabasco Sauce

I am part-redneck and I loves me some hotwings. I only wish that I could invent a clear tabasco sauce so that my fingers and face do not get so icky.

The "Monty Python's Spamalot" soundtrack went on sale today and I bought two;one for Doug and one for me. I also bought all of my merchandise, so that I do not have to wrestle souvenir crowds at the theater. I bought a stuffed killer rabbit with pointy teeth, a t-shirt, and the souvenir brochure. The killer rabbit is coming with me to gigs!

Ni, ni, ni!

The only thing better than cold pizza is warm pizza.

I Wish I Could Wake Up

Apparently, I have not woken up yet.

I was on my lunch break and practically ran through a red light. Thank goodness I have great breaks, because right as I was about to breeze through the intersection, I slammed on my breaks, which made a loud screeching sound. The screeching seemed to echo for miles. There was no one behind me, so I started to back up. Just as I backed up behind the white line, the light turned green. There was a faint odor of burnt rubber in the air. I could not get mad at myself for just as I was about to yell "fuck" I realized that to curse at myself was pointless. After all, no one was hurt or killed and I did not cause an accident. I just feel sorry for the poor folks who may have been watching me and wondering, "What the hell is she doing? Is she drunk?"
I know what my problem is;I have not woken up yet.

Just a thought: What is the point of toilet seat covers? I had to double-up on the seat covers today and my butt still got wet! What a silly idea! Why do the ambiguous they make something that is supposed to separate one's arse from the toilet and anything in between out of tissue paper? Maybe I should have used three.

By the way, I bought Anna Nalick's cd, "Wreck of the Day." She does that song, "Breathe (2 a.m.)" and I love it. It is very mellow. I like her, because she wrote all of the songs on the album. Her voice is pleasant and her lyrics are smart. Her songs are melodic. It is a well-produced debut album, as well. That is all.

The Wonderful World of Art and Anarchy

Stupid punks! It's like, "I'm an anarchist and I go around spray painting my messages of anarchy on pretty monuments around the city, but I have no idea what the word 'anarchy' means, other than my punk friends use the word a lot." Go graffiti your own house, you useless punks! Leave Art Hill alone!

I have to give a presentation on Rodin's "Eve." Up until a few days ago, I was not sure how I felt about sculpture. There were some of Rodin's sculptures on display at the art museum, and I have to say, I have a woody for his work now. I love how Rodin was almost able to capture the very essence of whoever or whatever he was sculpting. The man must have been an expert in anatomy, because his sculptures are so lifelike.

Farrah was on Letterman last night. I do not condone spouse abuse, but after seeing how she acted on last night's show, I cannot blame Lee Majors for being a shithead to her. He probably could not help it. I have always liked Lee Majors, though, and have never been too impressed with Farrah. "The Fall Guy" was a great show when I was five.

Congratulations to Ryan Seacrest for getting his star on the Walk of Fame!

We all know by now that American Idol is rigged or shall I say influenced, and although I have not been paying attention to the show this year, here are my predictions for the final three: Bo, Carrie, and Constantine. The final two should be Carrie and Bo, but will probably be Constantine and Bo, because all I have been hearing about since long before I auditioned in August, is that a white guy has to win this year, hence the reason for narrowing the competition to twelve guys and twelve girls and so on. If they really picked those who were the best singers, there would have been more girls than guys, thus the chances of a white guy winning would be slim. "Idol" does not keep me up at night, however, once again we are being told who the "best singer in America" is instead of being able to decide for ourselves. Such is television--"Reality" television.

The Different Forms of Tired

Thanks to my rigorous schedule, I discovered that tired comes in many forms.

1. The "I was sleeping really well, my dreams were awesome and I want to finish them, and I could stayed asleep, if it weren't for that stupid alarm, and I feel narcaleptic all day" tired

2. The "I am going to try to do my work and drive with one eye open" tired

3. There is "The five cups of coffee and double shots of espresso are actually putting me to sleep" tired

4. I have noticed that I suffer a lot from the "My eyes are not pointing the same direction today" tired

5. There is also the "I ate so many carbs, I cannot move" and

6. "Did that Chinese food have sedatives in it?" tired

7. I cannot stand "I am so tired, my ears are ringing and everything sounds tinny, even the beeping of the gas pump sounds like it is coming through a Marshall stack" tired

8. "I am so tired, I cannot get to sleep"

9. "I was exhausted, so why all of the sudden energy?"

10. I have a lot of fun with the "slap-happy" tired

11. "Who am I, again?" tired

12. "I lost my train of thought" tired

13. Whenever the band does three nights in a row, and I have to work the next morning, I am on stage singing and thinking to myself, "Gee, I am so tired, it seems like these sets are flying by! I have lost all concept of time! I am thinking one thing and singing another thing at the same time. I must be really talented to do this, 'cause I sure am tired. Cool!" tired

14. The "I cannot feel my limbs" tired scares me.

15. "What?"

16. "Huh?"

1

zzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TIM CURRY!

One of my favorite actors, Tim Curry, turns 59 today. Happy Birthday, Tim!

I remember being fascinated by Tim even as a kid. My first memory of him is from watching "Annie." He played Ms. Hannegan's brother, Rooster, and creeped me out. I was still like, "That guy is neat-o! He's trying to kill Annie!" My next memory of him is when he played the Grand Wizard in "The Worst Witch." I was immediately infatuated with him, his voice in particular. His has been my favorite voice ever since I saw him in that movie. I was about seven years old at the time.

I went through a kind of hate relationship with the theater and acting towards the end of my senior year in high school. I went from a Theater Major wanna-be ( I was accepted to both USC and SLU's theater programs) to despising theater. I think it bothered me that I never was cast as the glamorous lead. Instead, I was the one who had to do the accents and be the quirky supporting characters and I secretly hated it at the time.

A few years ago, I became interested in acting again after working on the music for some original musicals. I missed all of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into a production. It was and still is impossible for me to commit to a play, because the band plays every weekend. I did audition for an independent film, however, and got the role of Alexandria in "Among This Place." The film is still in production, but I thought by doing this film, I could put my passion to the test. Alexandria does not have many lines, but she does have to break-down and cry. By being a part of this production, I re-discovered my passion for making movies. I also recently received some correspondence from a film maker in Texas who will be shooting some short films this summer, one of which will be shot in St. Louis. I sent him my headshot and resume and he is sending me the script and shooting schedule. I hope my schedule allows me to be a part of this film, as these four short films he is doing will later be made into a full-length feature.
I suppose my point is this: I thought that a person could only be either a musician or an actor, that a person was not allowed to be both. This mode of thinking made me very unhappy.
Six months ago,when I saw "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" for the first time, I was even more inspired to get back into acting for there on the screen was that actor with whom I was so infatuated with as a kid--Tim Curry.
Seeing him perform again made me enjoy theater again and made me want to actively pursue the quirky roles that require the accents and require me to be anything other than the straight female lead. After all, I have always loved doing voices and accents, and I have an ear for them.
Anyway, I found out that Tim also had a bit of a music career. He recorded three albums in the late seventies, early eighties. My boyfriend had a copy of "Fearless", but gave it away. I am still bummed about that. Tim has written some pretty killer songs as well.
The moral of the story is this: If you have the talent, but mostly the passion, you really can have it all. You do not have to be just a singer or just a voice-over artist or just an actress. You can do all of the above--AND make an adequate living doing so.
So, thank you, Tim, for doing what you do and inspiring so many. We need people like you in the world.

This entry is also dedicated to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and to all those who lives were changed or lost to the selfish acts of two men on April 19, 1995.

So My Earthquake Prediction Was A Little Off...

Over a month ago, I had a dream that St. Louis would be hit by an earthquake on 4/17/05 and it would be a magnitude of 5.1.

On Saturday, I was listening to the radio and I heard that Bakersfield, California was hit by an earthquake that day (April 16), and check this out, though--It was a magnitude of 5.1. Hey, I suppose you could say I was a day late and about ten-states off. It was my first time predicting a quake. Gimmee a break, eh?

That is all. Stay tuned, because tomorrow's entry will be dedicated to one of my favorite actors, Tim Curry, since tomorrow he turns fifty-nine years old.

R.I.P. Johnnie Johnson

Rock and roll lost a legend, Wednesday, April 14, 2005. Piano great Johnnie Johnson passed away at the age of eighty.

It upset me to hear this on the news last night. I was blessed enough to see, hear, and meet Johnnie at a Chuck Berry show little over a year ago. The first time I heard Johnnie play live, I knew instantly that I was watching a rare talent. His playing was amazing--It was almost orgasmic. I was almost slobbering on myself, he was so good. The man played with such passion.

Johnnie and Chuck met for the first time in 1952, when Johnnie hired Chuck to play at one of his shows. Some time later, Chuck hired Johnnie to play piano for him. Johnnie Johnson was the muse for the song "Johnny B Goode." Since then, Mr. Johnson played piano on a number of recordings, and like Chuck, had a huge influence on rock and roll.

Here's to you, Johnnie! Thank you for all of your contributions.

Brittany's Gonna Have A Baby!

I am by no means a Brittany Spears fan, but I would like to congratulate Kevin and her for the good news. I really think this will be good for Brittany, like a baby is never a good thing, but it will give her something real and true in her life.

I have mixed feelings for the, as Joannie Mitchell put it, "the star-maker machinery" that gives us stars like Brittany Spears, Christina Aguilera, and goodness me, Jessica Simpson. Okay I despise the the machine that put Jessica out there. On one hand, the machine is the perfect example of capitalism, exploiting these girls, and kicking them to the curb when ticket sales get low. On the other hand, these girls are also using the machine to play "pop star" and make their money. I just worry about such young guys and gals being thrown into a crazy business with little or no knowledge of the business side of the industry. Think about it, most teenagers cannot manage the money they make from their after school jobs, let alone the millions teen pop stars make from record sales. Moreover, there are so many money hungry managers out there looking to take advantage of these kids' ignorance and stealing their money out from under their little pop star noses. It's like the Willie Nelson song, "Mommas don't let your babies grow up to be pop stars." Many of the parents of pop stars steal from their children as well. It is exploitation at its best and it is sad.

I am still pissed at Geffen Records for signing Ashlee.

My Weekend At The Junction

Doug had a gig filling in with a band on Saturday at a club in the tiny town of Perry, Missouri. The club, which is really more of a bar/restaurant, is called "The Junction." It is called this, because it is at the junction of Highways 19 and 54. The place is nothing to write home about, well, maybe it is, but I always go there when given the opportunity. It is sort of a sentimental journey for me, because I spent the majority of my childhood a few towns over from Perry in the town of Madison.

Anyway, the bar always treats the bands really well. The bar provides the band with two hotel rooms. This is great, because Perry is about a two-hour drive from St. Louis. I played there a few times with my old band, Radiogram, and it was always a good time. The Junction is the only bar/restaurant for miles and miles and it is close to Mark Twain Lake, so the bar is guaranteed to be hoppin' on a Saturday night. One is almost always guaranteed to get annoyed by many men looking for some action, as well.

First of all, let me say that I feel sorry for any poor soul who approaches me in a bar, because I am an asshole. The first man to approach the drummer's girlfriend and me was Tom. Tom is one of those guys who lets women know his entire life story within the first sixty seconds of introducing himself, like it is a well-rehearsed monologue. He says, "Hi, I'm Tom. can I buy you a drink? I don't mean any harm. I am just here to have a good time. I'm not looking for anything, I just want some girl to dance with me. I have a wife and kids and I am happily married. You see that table of thirty-five guys over there? They all work for me." Thank you for sharing, Tom. Tom is a harmless guy, but irritating just the same. I told Tom that he did not have to buy me a drink and I was exhausted and was just here to listen to the band. I had to emphasize "listen." Tom left my table and came back periodically to check on me and let me know his intentions, again. Again, Tom was harmless. I was so happy when he found a girl to dance with. I have no problem dancing with a guy in a bar or club. The problem is, a girl gives a guy one or two dances, and the guy isn't happy with that. He thinks he owns you for the rest of eternity. Exuent Tom, Enter "Who Are You Waiting For? Man."

I was sitting there, drinking my beer that my boyfriend bought me, listening to the band, when I felt a prescence next to me. I thought to myself, "If I don't look over, he will go away." All of a sudden, the prescence speaks. "Who are you waiting for?" he says. "Why do you ask?" I say. He says, "You look like you are waiting for someone." My head was swimming with smart-ass answers at this point. I wanted to say that I was waiting for Mr. Right to come along and sweep me off my feet, or that I was waiting for Armegeddon, or something, but I held my tongue. I told myself over and over to be nice. I say, "I am just trying to enjoy my beer and listen to the band." I emphasized "listen" again. He asked me what was wrong with the drummer's girlfriend. I said that she was tired and was also just here to listen to the band. I said that sometimes we just like to go to bars to listen to the band. For fuck sake! He left. When I told Doug about Who Are You Waiting For? Man, he suggested that I carry a corkscrew with me and next time someone asks me something like that to pull out my corkscrew and say that I am looking for someone's forehead to try it on. I guess I'll have to buy another corkscrew.

Soon, along comes, What's Wrong? Man. WWM comes up to me and asks me the one question I cannot stand, "What's wrong? Why aren't you smiling?" Again, I held my tongue. I wanted to tell him that I was trying to listen to the band and that I was tired of irritating men coming up to me and asking stupid flirtatious questions, but instead I said that I was smiling inside. Then I said, "What's wrong with you?" He said that he was from St. Louis and couldn't dance to this music. WWM turned out to be pretty cool. We talked about how we like to dance to House and Techno music. He talked about how he knew all the DJ's from his days of selling exctasy. I told him I was never into that and good for him for quitting.

Then, along came Iron Butterfly Man. IBM sat way to close to me and kept commenting on how good the drummer is. He asked me if I thought the band would play "Innagoddadavida." I said, "Why don't you go up and ask the band yourself?" in the hopes that he would not come back. He came back and sat way too close to me and would not shut up. It only made sense that he is the brother of Who Are You Waiting For Man. The band never played his request. He kept asking me why the band won't play his song. I wanted to say, "They're a live band, not a jukebox, " but held my tongue. I said that they couldn't play the song without an organist. When the band was done for the evening, I got up and left IBM and WAYWFM in a hurry.

I know, one day I will be old and gray and crave the attention, but I prefer to live for today. I would like to apologize for any inappropriate tense-shifts, but I am too lazy to proof read.

By the way, kumquats are awful cute!

Self Esteem

Hey, I got into my Blog! The past few times I tried to do an entry, the site was down. I have been talking to myself more, since the site has been down and I find myself practicing more and more impersonations of people while I am on long car trips by myself. I am aware of the fact that I am doing this, and although I am not truly qualified to diagnose myself either way, I do not believe I have a multiple personality disorder.

It is amazing what school has done for my self-esteem. I made a New Year's resolution in 2003 not to take crap from anyone, but I never really have kept that resolution, until recently. With that said, I am so happy I did not go to college right out of high school. I am practically addicted to the college thing. I am a firm believer in the theory that learning new things all of the time helps to create new paths in the brain, improves memory, and indeed keeps the mind sharp all around. That's enough of that.

I found a great interview with Tim Curry on the internet from NPR's program, "Fresh Air." I was bummed to learn that the man is agnostic, but I suppose faith happens at different times for different people. I have a friend like that to. I think it is certain tragic events that happen in a person's life that make him or her have faith or not have faith and that a person is agnostic, really bothers me. I suppose it's none of my business and I am not one to push my views on a person. It does not change the way I feel about my friend or Tim, for that matter. Anyway, here is the link to the interview: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4535516.
Enjoy!