a terribly late post

Weeks ago - over a month now, I'm pretty sure - I went on a retreat to Saugatuck, Michigan, with the women of my current church. I was a little reluctant, as I knew only two of the 26 women that were going to be there, and said retreat was bound to involve planning, and packing, and riding in a car during times when I could be...sleeping. Or whatever it is that everyone else does on the weekends; I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet. And then, of course, I would have to interact with people, answering the same five or six questions over and over again – yes, I work in theater, no, I'm not an actress, yes, I've been living in Chicago for a little over a year now, no, the school I went to isn't that Truman, it's the other one that you have probably never seen. And yes, I've been to the church before. You may have met me and forgotten me; anything's possible!

not with a whimper, but with a BANG

Hello again, internet friends! I know, it's been forever. I missed you too. HEARTS.

Last weekend, I (almost without realizing it) celebrated my one-year anniversary of living in Chicago. I didn't even recognize the milestone until Sunday night, out drinking with friends, I was asked how long I'd been here, and I answered, "Well, about a year now...*pause* Actually, uh, exactly one year now. Like. As of yesterday."

WELP.

It seems only appropriate to mark this occasion with a Useful List (because I am that kind of person, yes, but we knew this already). Thus, without further ado: Ten Things To Know About Your First Year In Chicago.*

The eventfulest day.

And some days you end up standing in the rain,
covered in mud, wondering why the heck
your magic hammer is so heavy all of a sudden.
It happens.

(I ALMOST FORGOT about Thor's Day this week, guys. It was that serious.)
Happy Thor's Day!

Two important things happened today:

1) Ninety-six years ago, Ella Fitzgerald was born. Happy Birthday, Lady Ella.

2) I got my tax refund! And consequently paid off my credit card, and, like, bought food, and put money in my sadly neglected savings account (sorry, little guy). It was awesome. (Sometimes I'm a little concerned about how much of a mood-lifter Having Money is for me, I'll be honest. My sense of security may be ever so slightly misplaced.)

...oh, and also sort of 3) Bard and I found an apartment!

I'm hesitant to announce this as actual news yet, with, y'know, all the attendant fanfare and photos and such, because we had a terribly tough time getting some of the requirements worked out, and there was all this nonsense with cosigners and secure deposit and our move-in date but the upswing of all of it is...we should be signing a lease in two weeks. And then, two weeks after that? Well. Moving Will Be Happening. And it will be epic. And y'all will get so sick of pictures of my new bathroom.
Stay tuned...

shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Well now, lovey, if I were to do that, I would have to say that you

completely destroy my attention span

[Not pictured: Facebook, NPR, tumblr, gmail, and who knows what else is open in my internet tabs]

this happens.

It's a grey, drippy, moody sort of day. Considering the glorious red-and-gold autumness we had all the last week, this feels like a very definite turning point. As they say; winter is coming.
Under these circumstances, I have very little choice - I stay indoors and bake, and drink coffee, and clean out my desk, and listen to hours and hours of NPR.

I think I'm turning into my father, guys.

Source: greenlikebathwater.tumblr.com via Shel on Pinterest

and now, the hard part. (or, GAH YETIS ARE EVERYWHERE)

Hello, my lovely readers.
While I have not actually been ambushed and devoured by yetis cleverly disguised as snowdrifts (or rather, it being 86 degrees in Chicago today, city buses), it is certainly beginning to feel like it.

We all know that moving to a new place - and following your dreams, and being a grownup, and blah blah blah all those associated things - is hard. People who have done so tell you this all the time. It is a widely accepted fact in most of the circles I move in, including but not limited to theatre people, middle-class folk, recent college grads, and In-Denial Twelve-Year-Olds Anonymous.
What most of us don't realize until it is much, much too late, is that simply being told this is not doing diddly to prepare us for the reality. We think, "Okay, it's gonna be hard. That's okay! I will be strong! I will believe in myself! I am a Strong, Independent, More-Or-Less-Grown-Up Professional, and I can totally do this!"

Hold up there, tiger. Here are five real for real things that you had better be ready for.
You're welcome.

MORE updates on various endeavors! (now with 25% more endeavors and a 300% increase in funny pictures!)

Right, so I feel that the title of this blog post may require some explanation.

Over the course of my blogging existence, Blogger.com has been keeping tabs on my stats - things like where my site traffic comes from, where my audience is reading from (as of today, I seem to have almost as many readers in Russia as I do in the U.S. - thanks, Russia!), and which posts they view the most.

This last, in particular, is incredibly unpredictable. Today I looked up and saw that my most popular post of all time - all time, mind you, since this little cactus' very beginnings - is this one.

Dear readers. I love you. But I have to admit, you mystify me.
Don't get me wrong; it's great that you find my life-updates so interesting! But...what about the koala bears? The combovers? What about Magic Bracelet man? Has everyone forgotten the Magic Bracelet man???

Source: someecards.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Shameville

The road to Shameville runs thusly.

5 Things I Learned from Production Managing the New Works Festival

Truth.