Thoroughly amuse-ed

From http://noctua.freeshell.org/hp-50-hogwarts.html

50 Things I Am Not Allowed To Do At Hogwarts

1. I will not poke Hufflepuffs with spoons, nor will I insist that their House colors indicate that they are "covered in bees".
2. No matter how good a fake Australian accent I can do, I will not imitate Steve Irwin during Care of Magical Creatures class.
3. Growing marijuana or hallucinogenic mushrooms is not "an extra credit project for Herbology".
4. "I've heard every possible joke about Oliver Wood's name" is not a challenge.
5. I am not allowed to attempt to breed a liger.
6. I will not go to class skyclad.
7. The Giant Squid is not an appropriate date to the Yule Ball.
8. I will not use Umbridge's quill to write "I told you I was hardcore".
9. I will stop referring to showering as "giving Moaning Myrtle an eyeful".
10. Polishing my wand in the common room is acceptable. "Polishing my wand" in the common room is not.
11. If a classmate falls asleep, I will not take advantage of that fact and draw a Dark Mark on their arm.
12. House elves are not acceptable replacements for Bludgers.
13. Starting a betting pool on the fate of this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is tasteless and tacky, not a clever money-making concept.
14. I will not start every Potions class by asking Professor Snape if today's project is suitable for use as a sexual lubricant.
15. Adding the name "Bueller" to Professor Binns' roster is not funny.
16. "Springtime for Voldemort" is not an acceptable suggestion for the class play.
17. Seamus Finnegan is not "after me Lucky Charms".
18. I will not refer to the Weasley twins as "bookends".
19. I will not refer to the Patil twins as "bookends".
20. The Slytherin prefect is named Draco Malfoy, not "Rocky Horror."
21. It is exceptionally tasteless to tell Professor Lupin that "Once you go Black, you never go back."
22. I will not call Lucius Malfoy "Jareth".
23. I will not bring a Magic Eight Ball to Divination class.
24. I am not to refer to the Potions classroom as "Kitchen Stadium".
25. I will not tell Ron and Hermione to "Get a room" whenever they start to fight.
26. The Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason.
27. I am not a tribble Animagus.
28. I am allowed to have a toad, rat, cat, or owl. I am not allowed to have a reticulated python, snow leopard, Tasmanian devil, or piranha.
29. I do not weigh the same as a duck.
30. Remus Lupin does not want a flea collar.
31. Sirius Black is not #24601.
32. I will not lick Trevor.
33. I will stop asking the Arithmancy teacher what the square root of -1 is.
34. I am not being repressed.
35. Calling Lucius Malfoy "Luscious Mouthful" is just plain gross.
36. I will not change the password to the prefects' bath to "Makes getting clean almost as much fun as getting dirty".
37. There is no such thing as an Invisibility Thong.
38. I am not a Pinball Wizard.
39. Asking "How do you keep a Gryffindor in suspense?" and walking away is only funny the first time.
40. I will not offer to pose nude for Colin Creevey.
41. I will not offer to pose nude for Dean Thomas.
42. It is a bad idea to tell Professor Snape he takes himself too seriously.
43. It is a bad idea to tell Professor McGonagall she takes herself too seriously.
44. Sir Cadogan is not one of the knights who say "NI".
45. I will not offer to prepare tandoori owl.
46. I will stop asking when we will learn to make "Love Potion Number Nine".
47. I will not ask Dumbledore to show me the pointy hat trick.
48. I will not greet Professor McGonagall with "What's new, pussycat?"
49. There is not now, nor has there ever been, a fifth House at Hogwarts, and I am not a member of that house, nor am I its founder.
50. I will not take out a life insurance policy on Harry Potter.

New home

Here is my new apartment:




The living room



The bedroom


Our walkthrough kitchen and the back door



The bathroom.

And that's it! There's only 4 rooms, plus a hallway/stairway. It's nice, though.

And I have a job! I am a true actress now: I'm waitressing and auditioning. I had an audition today and I have another one scheduled for next week if the first one doesn't go through. I can now finally add waitressing to my resume. I'm working at a little pub a 10 minute walk from the apartment. Hopefully the tips will be good :P

That's all from here for now!

Love to all.

Home

We have an apartment! It's a little (seriously... little) place in Forest Park, IL. It's half of the second floor of a house. It has 4 rooms: A nice size living room, a decent size bedroom, a kitchen that's basically a hallway with cupboards and appliances on either side and a bitty bathroom. We also have our own stairway and outside hallway. It's small, but it's big enough for Andy and I. We moved in our stuff yesterday and are set to finish unpacking and organizing today.

It's about a 30 min ride on the El to the city, and has 2 independent theatres within walking distance. It seems like a nice neighborhood, too (in our travels we have already run into multiple Irish pubs and 2 Thai restaurants). There's a library within a couple of blocks too :) I'll post pics later, when we get internet at the place. But I think it's a good change. We've already met our downstairs neighbor, who seems really friendly. Ah, the midwest. It took us months to really meet our neighbors in NY, and we already have been in to see our new neighbor's apartment. It's nice to be back.

We made it!

Oy. That's really all I have to say.

Definition:
Oy:
1. A full size truck pulling a 6'x12' trailer over the George Washington Bridge, through the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn and then going back again.
2. Packing up an entire apartment and cleaning it.
3. 17 + hours in said truck sitting in the middle seat.

It was allright tho, no major incidents. We got packed up and moved out on Sunday (saying goodbye to our neighbors :'( ). We left at about 7pm, drove until 10 and stayed the night in PA, just across the border. The next day we started at about 10am and drove until 10pm with stops for gas/food/etc. We stayed in Ohio, just east of the Indiana border. The next day we were on the road by 7:30 am and got to Nekoosa just fine. It was an interesting trip (tho I don't want to be in a car at anytime soon). I will post the last few pics from NY and the trip once I get some new batteries for my camera... my rechargables are no longer charging, so time for new ones!

Hope everyone else is doing well, we're off to apartment hunt tomorrow and Saturday!

Love to all,
Greta

Bittersweet moving days

"The time has come," the walrus said...

Moving time. It's always been a difficult time for me. I tend to try to cling to what I have. I'm thoroughly excited about moving... Although at the same time I'm not. I will be closer to family and friends, have new job opportunities, live in a new city and possibly start to settle down and build a network of friends and acquaintances that will last for longer than a year because I move so much.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave NY. Before this summer, I was. The city was starting to get to me, but after a break, I'm ready to give it another go. Plus, some opportunities have come up that I haven't been able to take full advantage of. And I'm not sure if the city is through with me yet. I know that sounds backwards, but usually I get to leave when I'm exhausted and filled with a good sense of finality: that I've done all I can with this place and I feel good about what I've accomplished and can look back with fond memories. The fond memories will be there: I've made good friends here. But I can't say that I feel good about what I've accomplished, theatre-wise at least. Personally, tho, I've grown more than I ever thought I could in terms of living on my own in a big city. It's opened my mind and tested me in ways that I couldn't foresee living in a small town where it's sheltered and safe.

I think also what's bugging me about leaving is that I'm probably never going to see these people or places again. I plan to re-visit NY, but that will be Manhattan most likely, and re-visiting the neighborhood will be only for a day or so. A lot of the people that I work with will be either gone or not working on the day I would go visit. I hate breaking off friendships. In this day and age, there's so many ways to communicate that you can't really lose touch unless you really try, but nothing can compare to seeing friends face to face and spending time with them on a regular basis.

But I'm also ready to start a new life. I want to get a good theatre job (or ANY theatre job :P), and start working at a new place. I can't wait to spend time with my sisters and parents again and finally live with just Andy and start our life as a couple on our own. The only reason I'm really not ready to leave is professional reasons. In all other aspects of my life, I'm ready.

On a different note, we won't have internet from Oct 5-9 or so, so if you need to contact me (or Andy), you know our phone numbers. More to come after that on moving and the new apartment search!

The last week has been bittersweet: saying goodbye to work friends, last days of work... but happy too. I had a great birthday: Thanks to all who sent cards or emails or posts!!! I used my birthday (and the day before and after) to do overhire work for costuming :):):) Where did I do this overhire you may ask? Juilliard. It really shows that it's who you know in this business.

Love to all,
Greta

The Death of Franken-couch

We moved out to NYC with a cheap metal futon. It started to break a couple of months after we moved in, but in the last month it was being held together by nothing more than duct tape. So today, we decided to retire it.


This is Franken-couch. Note the metal bars on the seat are bowed so they touch the ground.


Andy taking apart Franken-couch.


On the curb for the garbage man.



The best part of the story: The above picture was taken at 6:16 pm. Andy and I went upstairs to bag up the rest of the garbage... and when we came back down, the couch was gone.




This pic was taken at 6:22 pm. In between the pics, we went back upstairs, bagged the garbage, came back down and then went back up to take the pic. So Franken-couch disappeared within 3 minutes of being left. At least he won't be lonely...

A customer looked up my nose

Seriously. And this wasn't a small child, either. It was a woman older than I am. I mean, I know I'm tall, but I didn't think I was THAT tall......

I was in the fitting rooms and I took her items back after she was done. She looked at me:
Her: There's something inside your nose!
Me: ...... What?
Her: There's something inside your nose... (Uncertainly) Maybe it's your nose ring...?
Me: Is it silver?
Her: Yes.
Me: ...........Then it's my nose ring............
Her: Ok.

Other than that, nothing much going on. Just working and getting ready to move. The official move date is October 7, so we'll be back in WI on about October 9 or so. Then it's off to Chicago to look for apartments :)

Love to all!

I want to be an Evil Super Villain when I grow up

Think about it:

Super Hero:
-Constantly having to thwart a bad guy.
-The pressure is always on to win, and when you don't, everyone loses trust in you and you've let everyone down.
-You need an alternate identity to live in the "normal" world.

Super Villain:
-You can make up your own evil schemes to take over the world. It doesn't matter how crazy they are, everyone will be okay with that.
-You don't have to have a secret identity because you don't live in the "normal" world.
-Everyone expects you to lose, so when you do your reputation isn't lost.
-When you win, you get to take over the world.

It's a win-win situation!!

Long overdue for an adventure

One of the things that I really wanted to do in New York was go to Coney Island and ride The Cyclone-the wooden roller coaster that's there. Thus begins my adventure:

Andy and I both had the day off yesterday, so we decided to go to Coney Island. I looked up the way to get there... which involved 2 trains and 1.5 hours of travel. But we decided to go anyway. We got there with no problems, both of our trains being very punctual (for once). We got there, and I immediately went on the roller coaster. Awesome! It was so much fun! I love roller coasters....and I haven't been on one since I worked at Valleyfair (2 years ago). It was amazing. It doesn't have any upside down bits or anything... just a wooden roller coaster. But it had to be made to fit on a tiny area of land, so the drops are STEEP and the turns are really tight. Ahhh... the thrills of a 60 degree drop with nothing but a lap bar holding you in :):)

After that, Andy and I walked out to the ocean. We waded in the water, soaking the cuffs of our shorts (we didn't think to bring swimsuits) and just generally having a fun day. We ate lunch on the boardwalk and just played around all day. It was a fun and relaxing day, which we both needed. Such a good adventure...

I've gone back to work at AE, and it's about the same as it always was. They still like me there (whew!) and it's been steadily busy. Though for some reason, closing takes a lot longer than it used to...

Not much else going on, just normal things like laundry and cleaning and working. Sunday is Andy's birthday (!!!!) so that's sure to be fun :)

Love to all

Back in NYC

Hello to all!

I'm back in New York now. It was sad, leaving everyone and a good job. I miss people already. It still feels kind of like I'm just visiting, reinforced by the fact that I'm going back to WI in less than a week for my Dad's retirement party. It's hotter here than in MA (which isn't saying much; it was between 60-80 there). And it's humid...but it's comfortable at night, so that's something. And the pace of the city is something I have to get used to again. I found myself rushing around yesterday when I didn't have any place to get to "on time"... the city makes everyone move fast. It's also weird being back in the apartment without Andy Claude or Michelle... though our new roommate is great too :) Lots of changes. But I'm back at AE again, starting when I return from WI.

In other news: Andy and I are moving back to the Midwest! We don't know the exact date yet, or where we'll end up, but we've got some ideas that we're throwing around. But we will be back before Christmas!

I got the new HP book a few days after it came out. And finished it within 48 hours. It was a good end to the series. Andy has finished it as well, so I have someone to exclaim over details with. And the cover art is the best in the series. Those who have finished the book will agree with me, I think. As for the movie, my cousin and I are upholding our tradition of going together to see it when I'm back in WI.

This week is devoted to unpacking, repacking, updating my portfolio/resume and finishing a few crafts that I've started. So I have plenty of free time :) Then back to reality in just under 2 weeks. Sigh. I've liked living ideally. But bills must be paid.

Love to all.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
-Mary Frye

Rest in Peace, Joy. You will be loved and missed and remembered always.

Request

My friend's mom is really sick and declining rapidly. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers.

Thanks

Long time, no post

I've realized that I have not posted in a while...and that my posts from this summer aren't exactly long or informative. I've been doing really well here. I love being out of the rush of the city for a few months. I've met lots of new friends here, some of which will stay with me in years to come. Everyone here is so talented and easy to work with.

Another great thing about this summer is I'm finally motivated again. I've spent the last 6 months in NYC not really looking hard for jobs in theatre; just being "content" (I use the term loosely) with living life and working at AE. I've realized what a rut I was stuck in, and this place and the people here have motivated me to get out there and really start looking hard for a good job. I have a good contact in NYC now... and hopefully a job will come out of that.

Andy came up last "weekend" (for me, weekends are Sunday afternoon through Monday). That was really nice. We had an amazing time; we went to 2 shows, went to the lake and just hung out. It's times like these when I realize how much I love him and how much I miss him when he's away. He commented (and I agreed) that I looked happy. And I am. I figured out during a walk home in the rain that if I'm happy with my surroundings, then I'm happy with myself. I like being up here. The work environment is great; sometimes when people say that it's a learning environment, they don't really mean it. Not so here. I can ask as many questions as I need to and no one gets upset or anything. Everyone, from the shop supervisor to the interns, is willing to share what they know and help anyone who needs it. It's so refreshing.

So life is good right now. The summer has given me a chance to relax and get energized for the coming months. I'm optimistic, ready to face the world and really begin to live my life.

ARRRRRRRRRRRR!

Not "arrrr" in the bad way... "arr" as in PIRATES!!! 5 of us went to see Pirates 3 on Sunday evening, and 4 of us dressed up like pirates :) This is all four of us.
Me (of course!)

Other than that, things are going well. We have a HUGE build for A Midsummer Night's Dream, so we're working overtime all this week... but hopefully it'll go back to normal after that.

Here's the jacket I just finished (not completely, but as finished as I can make it before fittings):


Not much else to report now, but I'll put up a longer post when I get some pics of the house, grounds and theatre :)

Love to all!

Here, safe and sound

I made it to Lenox yesterday with a minimum of complications. Those included: trying to manage suitcases on the subway (lots of love to Andy for helping me!!) and almost not being able to get my suitcase unlocked. But I'm here just fine, my housing is awesome!!!!!! We have a huge backyard... ahhh.... It's beautiful here in the country. I love it. And my roommate and the other shop ladies are amazing :) So, it will be a good summer.

More later, there's others waiting for the computer.

Love to all!!!!!

11 Days

11 days until I leave for Lenox, MA!!! I really can't wait to get out there. I like the city and all, but spending 14 weeks in the country will be relaxing. And I get to sew all day :) And 2 seconds ago, Michelle handed me my bus ticket :D So I've signed my contract, I have a way to get there, and I'm leaving soon!!!!!

And my parents are coming tomorrow!!!! I got Friday, Saturday and Sunday off, so we're going to hang around and I'll show them the city and things like that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weather stays beautiful like it has been. It's been 60-80 degrees and sunny for the last week. I'm beginning to get used to spring/summer... ahhh.... And the trees are starting to bud (yes, there's trees in my neighborhood) and grass is starting to grow (there's grass near the curb... some people have yards, but not me).

That's about all from here. Love to all!

Pay it forward

There are times, when living in the big city, that my faith in humanity is utterly lost. The person at the cash desk, arguing for 10 minutes because his shirt is not $6.95, but $9.95, and he thinks that he should be entitled to a $6.95 shirt, even if that is not the price marked. The total lack of respect for sales people; not even acknowledging their presence, even if they greet you. The complete rudeness of everyone around you, and the harshness and coldness that seems to characterize anyone who's lived in a big city for any length of time.

And then, there are times when my faith in humanity is completely restored. Last night was another late night at work. I got to the bus stop at about 1:20. It was kind of cold last night, probably in the 30s with a chill wind. Another girl who worked at the mall was there, along with a mother and her teenage daughter. By 2:00 am the bus still wasn't there. A lot of cabs had driven by, but I had no cash and so was determined to "suck it up" and wait for the bus. A cab that had driven by a couple times stopped at 2 am, rolled down his window and told us, "Ladies, I'm going down Woodhaven Blvd (which was the bus route) to Jamaica Ave. $2 each, that's what the bus costs."

The mom said that she was going a bit farther than that, and he agreed to take her. The other girl got in too. He looked at me and asked, "You coming?" I told him that I had no cash. Without hesitating, he said, "Get in the car." I asked if he was sure, that I had no cash, and again he said, "Get in the car."

He dropped off the mother and daughter at Atlantic Ave, which is where I usually get off the bus and walk about 10 min home. I opened the door to get out, and he said, "Stay in, I'll take you down the road." He ended up taking me to the corner of my street before taking the other girl (presumably) to her door as well. I thanked him again as I got out of the cab, and he said, "Just go do a good deed for someone else now."

Whenever my faith is lost, something always happens to bring it back again. Life is funny like that.

It takes a man who knows no fear to wrestle with a goat.

My exciting news:

I have a summer theatre job! I am working as a stitcher for Shakespeare and Co. in Lenox, Massachusetts this summer. I leave in the beginning of May and return late July :) I'm very excited- it sounds like a great place. We work 9-6 Tues thru Sat, have a half day on Sunday and Mondays off every week.... Ahhhhhhh, I'll be able to ENJOY summer this year without killing myself with the pace (and still earning money). I actually accepted the job a few weeks ago, but I was waiting until I got a contract to post it (just in case...) So I will be off north in just over a month.... I can't wait!!!!!!

Love to all :)

Gotta see this...

A real post will be coming soon, it's just too late to write one at this moment.

But you must see this: For everyone who remembers Mary Poppins...

Personally, I think it's brilliant :)

But what if I don't WANT to change to the new blogger?!

I guess they aren't going to give me a choice in the matter...

I realized, looking at my past posts, that they were more links to other internet sites than actual posts about me... Well, that's because my life has been pretty non-eventful lately. We have a new house-mate: Michelle. Point people will remember her, for everyone else, she was in the theatre program with me. She's living in the third bedroom, and it's WONDERFUL having another girl in the house :) I've been getting more hours at work, which is nice for both the boredom and the money factors. I'm excited because this month I think I will be able to put a tiny bit away in savings!! That would be nice... Other news: I'm looking for summer theatre jobs. Not much going on there, I have a couple of places that want to interview me (over the phone, thankfully), but I am at a standstill right now. Other than that, my aunt and cousin are coming out for spring break in just under a month. So exciting!!! I haven't seen anyone since Christmas, so it'll be nice. And I'm looking forward to finally doing the touristy stuff here, as the only tourist stuff I've done so far is go to a couple shows.

Oh yes, I saw "Wicked" a couple weeks ago for Michelle's birthday. She entered the ticket lottery and won, so we saw "Wicked" in the front row. It was really cool... The costumes were astonishing, and from so close, I got to see a lot of detail. Beautiful. Seriously, what you can accomplish when you have the budget and manpower is astonishing. The show was great, the actors had a lot of energy, and the effects were amazing. The best part was meeting the actors afterwards. I read in the program that the guy playing Fieyro did voice acting. He came out and was signing autographs, looking bored with the world, and as he signed mine, I said, "I think that it's really cool that you do voice work, too." His eyes lit up and he started talking to Michelle and I about it, how he started out on really crappy stuff, but then worked his way up. The best part was that as he moved along the line signing other people's programs, he kept talking to us :):)

So I guess I've got more going on than I thought. Tho I do have a couple of really funny YouTube videos that I found... So those will go up at a later date.

Love to all!!