Saturday I threw a "meet the new roommate" dinner at Elsinore. We now have our last roommate Miriam, while Bernie just got a new roommate RJ, so we thought we'd invite them to dinner and make nice. We did it potluck, which was easier on the ol' pocketbook, but tougher on my "I want to control every aspect of the menu so it's up to my quality standards" instinct. It came out pretty tasty anyway, with grilled steaks, brussel sprouts, bread, and other good things. And I didn't have to spend the whole day cooking. I also know Jared has been itching to do social things with all the friends he hasn't seen in three months, so I'm glad he had a good time. After dinner we ate cheesecake and watched Clue-- an excellent thing for me, since I can study it for ideas on how to write my next game. The murder mechanic may be assisted by figuring out how it occurred int he film and trying to simulate that somehow. We're still figuring it out.
Sunday I piled Jared, Bernie, and Emma into my car and drove to Lunenburg to attend an excellent board gaming party thrown by Matt and Lise. I really don't get to see them enough, so I was very excited for this get-together. I only played one game but I liked being with people even more. I had a very nice time talking to Vicky, with whom I clearly don't seem to do that enough. And Lise and Matt served delicious beef shish kebobs; I think I must get the recipe. Unfortunately Jared and I couldn't stay for more than a few hours, because he had promised to help out Hold Thy Peace at the Activities Fair.
Again, I am extremely proud of HTP's new e-board. They were right there giving their all for the entire Fair, and they roped in quite a few names on the mailing list as well as the audition sheet for Romeo and Juliet. I signed up, though I haven't decided what piece to audition with. Or what to say on my casting questionnaire-- if anything in particular. It makes me glad to see so many people going out; it increases the chances of getting real talent, and means we won't be so pressed for just the simple number of necessary actors.
So, after all that, I am tired. I think I am going to spend the evening tonight at home recharging. I need some unscheduled time for a little while. Too long without it and I start losing equilibrium.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Last Thursday and Friday
Gah, busy last several days, and I am beat. A quick recap of where I have been and what I have been doing that has interrupted my normal stream of self-involved ramblings, larp-related babbling, and occasional cooking reports. Posted in bursts due to length and variety of subject.
Thursday I went with Bernie to the wedding of one of his cousins in New York. Their respective parts of the family are not very close, and he wanted me to come along as somebody to talk to. It was an Orthodox Jewish wedding, which meant Phoebe had to put her midriff away and study up a little on the customs so as to not appear quite as much the ignorant heathen she is. As a matter of fact, I was a lot more comfortable than I expected to be-- between my research and the knowledge I absorbed through living at Brandeis, I could more or less follow everything that was happening around me. It was actually pretty interesting and fun. Honestly due to the mechitza I probably spent less time with Bernie than with his mother, but as I said their family didn't really know anyone else, so I was glad I could be a friend for her. I even danced the hora. :-) That was fun, though the bride didn't go up in the chair. Also, I saw some of the ugliest dresses I've ever seen in my life. Picture nineteenth century gowns crossed with prom dresses. There's Orthodox modesty gone formal for you. I felt like a stylish panther lurking among dowdy sheep. ;-) Oh! I almost forgot the best part. A lady at the table at the reception struck up a conversation with me, asking me about the Jewish community back in my hometown. I knew the answers, so I told her-- Allentown has quite a few Jews, but most of them are more cultural than religious. Chabad is somewhere, but not all that much of a presence. She said, "Oh, so you didn't grow up with much religion, then?" I smiled and told her, "Actually, I'm Catholic." She was taken slightly aback. "Oh!" she said. "You don't look Catholic." Heehee. Was it the lack of stigmata that fooled her? Maybe that I put my plaid miniskirt away. Or perhaps she would have expected a Roman among the Chosen to be an ignorant shiksa. I'm sure what she meant is "You don't sound Catholic," but I am delighted to have disabused that notion, if that's the case. I am quite proud of myself for passing, seeing as typically they know me on sight. I am still not sure what gave me away at the kosher butcher shop, where the older Jewish lady snappishly told her husband to "Ask the shiksa to move!" I really did not want to be the screamingly obvious ignorant outsider, and I'm proud to say mission accomplished.
After we got back after a long drive through the rain, we rushed to the freshmen orientation event where Hold Thy Peace had been asked to perform some scenes and monologues. I was really proud of Jared, Elana, and Steph for getting it all together, and all the acts that went up looked and sounded great. It was too loud and unstructured a venue for this sort of thing, but they made the best of things and I was very impressed. Jared is so talented, I hope he gets a little more confidence in himself soon. He has a tendency to assume the worst in a lot of situations, but he always comes through in the end-- his performance was everything I hoped it would be.
Next-- a dinner, a party, and auditions for Romeo and Juliet.
Thursday I went with Bernie to the wedding of one of his cousins in New York. Their respective parts of the family are not very close, and he wanted me to come along as somebody to talk to. It was an Orthodox Jewish wedding, which meant Phoebe had to put her midriff away and study up a little on the customs so as to not appear quite as much the ignorant heathen she is. As a matter of fact, I was a lot more comfortable than I expected to be-- between my research and the knowledge I absorbed through living at Brandeis, I could more or less follow everything that was happening around me. It was actually pretty interesting and fun. Honestly due to the mechitza I probably spent less time with Bernie than with his mother, but as I said their family didn't really know anyone else, so I was glad I could be a friend for her. I even danced the hora. :-) That was fun, though the bride didn't go up in the chair. Also, I saw some of the ugliest dresses I've ever seen in my life. Picture nineteenth century gowns crossed with prom dresses. There's Orthodox modesty gone formal for you. I felt like a stylish panther lurking among dowdy sheep. ;-) Oh! I almost forgot the best part. A lady at the table at the reception struck up a conversation with me, asking me about the Jewish community back in my hometown. I knew the answers, so I told her-- Allentown has quite a few Jews, but most of them are more cultural than religious. Chabad is somewhere, but not all that much of a presence. She said, "Oh, so you didn't grow up with much religion, then?" I smiled and told her, "Actually, I'm Catholic." She was taken slightly aback. "Oh!" she said. "You don't look Catholic." Heehee. Was it the lack of stigmata that fooled her? Maybe that I put my plaid miniskirt away. Or perhaps she would have expected a Roman among the Chosen to be an ignorant shiksa. I'm sure what she meant is "You don't sound Catholic," but I am delighted to have disabused that notion, if that's the case. I am quite proud of myself for passing, seeing as typically they know me on sight. I am still not sure what gave me away at the kosher butcher shop, where the older Jewish lady snappishly told her husband to "Ask the shiksa to move!" I really did not want to be the screamingly obvious ignorant outsider, and I'm proud to say mission accomplished.
After we got back after a long drive through the rain, we rushed to the freshmen orientation event where Hold Thy Peace had been asked to perform some scenes and monologues. I was really proud of Jared, Elana, and Steph for getting it all together, and all the acts that went up looked and sounded great. It was too loud and unstructured a venue for this sort of thing, but they made the best of things and I was very impressed. Jared is so talented, I hope he gets a little more confidence in himself soon. He has a tendency to assume the worst in a lot of situations, but he always comes through in the end-- his performance was everything I hoped it would be.
Next-- a dinner, a party, and auditions for Romeo and Juliet.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Hungry-monster
I swear, I am a small animal that when hungry cannot think of anything other than food until the hunger-beast is satisfied.
Seriously. BRAIN EATEN BY HUNGRY. I told you the stomach was the center of my universe.
Seriously. BRAIN EATEN BY HUNGRY. I told you the stomach was the center of my universe.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Musings on Festival of the Larps
Still have larping very much on the brain-- more so than usual, even. :-) I want to get to work writing more games, and I want to make plans to run more games. As I mentioned, I finally got Oz bid for Intercon, which I'd been meaning to do for a while. So naturally that got me thinking about other cons, which turned my thoughts to Festival of the Larps.
I'm incredibly proud of the Brandeis community for putting on its own larp con. First of all, let me say I think everyone involved puts up a fantastic show. It's well-organized, well-put together, and well-run, such that I feel that we impress and show a good time to anyone who attends wherever they're from. I even feel like quality has increased along with the number attendees, which is pretty awesome if you think about it. Festival con com, you guys are fantastic and you knock it out of the park every time. And more than that, Festival, beyond just being the con we host, is our con. For me, that means I feel like I am welcome and encouraged to be involved. I know a new game I want to debut will be welcome. I will have plenty of my people there that I want to share the experience with, people whose games I want to be in and who want to be in mine. "You wrote a new game? I want to play in it. I care that it does well." It really means a lot to me that people have signed up for my games just because I wrote them-- some because they care about me and want my games to go well for my sake, and some because my name was enough of an indication to them that it would be a game worth playing. Those are both really great things that you get most easily at a con made up of your people that feels like your own.
One thing that's always made me smile is that people are so encouraging of the emergence of new larp writers from the Brandeis community. I was introduced to larping by zapf*, for which I am forever in his debt, and at that time, he was the newest writer to come out on the Brandeis scene. When I came out with Alice, that title passed to me, and I think it was mine for quite a long time. It was finally claimed by jh1230* and kamianya* when they debuted GM Space. If I've got the current state of things, it now belongs to Bernie, lightgamer*, and witticaster* for their work on Paranoia: Research and Dismemberment. And now morethings5* has an idea for a game in the works, and when it comes out, the title will go to him. I like this sense of, I don't know, congratulation there is for people who actually go for it and get into writing larps for the first time. I feel like the fact that we have Festival as such a willing host for our new games really contributes to this.
I kind of wish I had more to do with the putting on of the con, but to be honest, the contribution I really want to make is the bringing of games. I want to bring lots of good games to Festival and run them so that people who come to the con get the experience they came for. :-) I really really love Festival, you know.
I'm incredibly proud of the Brandeis community for putting on its own larp con. First of all, let me say I think everyone involved puts up a fantastic show. It's well-organized, well-put together, and well-run, such that I feel that we impress and show a good time to anyone who attends wherever they're from. I even feel like quality has increased along with the number attendees, which is pretty awesome if you think about it. Festival con com, you guys are fantastic and you knock it out of the park every time. And more than that, Festival, beyond just being the con we host, is our con. For me, that means I feel like I am welcome and encouraged to be involved. I know a new game I want to debut will be welcome. I will have plenty of my people there that I want to share the experience with, people whose games I want to be in and who want to be in mine. "You wrote a new game? I want to play in it. I care that it does well." It really means a lot to me that people have signed up for my games just because I wrote them-- some because they care about me and want my games to go well for my sake, and some because my name was enough of an indication to them that it would be a game worth playing. Those are both really great things that you get most easily at a con made up of your people that feels like your own.
One thing that's always made me smile is that people are so encouraging of the emergence of new larp writers from the Brandeis community. I was introduced to larping by zapf*, for which I am forever in his debt, and at that time, he was the newest writer to come out on the Brandeis scene. When I came out with Alice, that title passed to me, and I think it was mine for quite a long time. It was finally claimed by jh1230* and kamianya* when they debuted GM Space. If I've got the current state of things, it now belongs to Bernie, lightgamer*, and witticaster* for their work on Paranoia: Research and Dismemberment. And now morethings5* has an idea for a game in the works, and when it comes out, the title will go to him. I like this sense of, I don't know, congratulation there is for people who actually go for it and get into writing larps for the first time. I feel like the fact that we have Festival as such a willing host for our new games really contributes to this.
I kind of wish I had more to do with the putting on of the con, but to be honest, the contribution I really want to make is the bringing of games. I want to bring lots of good games to Festival and run them so that people who come to the con get the experience they came for. :-) I really really love Festival, you know.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Oz bid for Intercon
Getting back from the most recent run of Alice has galvanized me for larp running. I shamelessly plugged Intercon while I was there, a con that a handful of them go to regularly but many did not know much about. I said if they enjoyed Alice, they should come play Oz, which I want to run there at J. And then it occurred to me that I never actually got around to bidding it yet. :-) So I just did. This game has yet to leave Brandeis, and given how positive this experience of taking Alice to Chicago was, I am interested in expanding my player base as much as possible. This is actually part of the beauty of Intercon-- the whole reason Alice got invited out to Chicago was because people from far away had a chance to play it at Intercon that they normally wouldn't have. And they went home and told their friends about it, and their enjoyment lead to this opportunity.
I also took a look at the other games that have already been approved. The ones I am currently most interested in include The Last Seder and Survivors of the Naronic. I've wanted to play The Last Seder ever since AE wrote it, but I seem to miss it due to another committment every goddamn times it runs. With my luck it'll go up during Oz. Ah, well, here's hoping. As for Survivors, it's a Brit game. I loved both Railways and Respectability and All's Well That Ends, so I'm inclined to expect good things from this one. I could really go for a good Steampunk game. Apparently its sequel, Ghosts of Urquhart, is also running, but I'd rather play the original first. There is also a Jungle Book-themed game-- the third installment of Will Wagner's Grimm Tales series --and I'm a huge Kipling fan, but honestly the little information there is about it doesn't wow me. I have a preference for doing filling three slots a con and leaving the rest of my time free, so if I could get into Last Seder, Survivors, and run Oz, that might just be perfect.
I also took a look at the other games that have already been approved. The ones I am currently most interested in include The Last Seder and Survivors of the Naronic. I've wanted to play The Last Seder ever since AE wrote it, but I seem to miss it due to another committment every goddamn times it runs. With my luck it'll go up during Oz. Ah, well, here's hoping. As for Survivors, it's a Brit game. I loved both Railways and Respectability and All's Well That Ends, so I'm inclined to expect good things from this one. I could really go for a good Steampunk game. Apparently its sequel, Ghosts of Urquhart, is also running, but I'd rather play the original first. There is also a Jungle Book-themed game-- the third installment of Will Wagner's Grimm Tales series --and I'm a huge Kipling fan, but honestly the little information there is about it doesn't wow me. I have a preference for doing filling three slots a con and leaving the rest of my time free, so if I could get into Last Seder, Survivors, and run Oz, that might just be perfect.
Midwest success
Well, I am back from Chicago, and I am well pleased. I am delighted to report that the fourth run of Alice went beautifully, and we met some great people who were both nice and interesting as well as fantastic roleplayers. The summary is that the game was well-recieved, well-played, and I feel very good about it.
The gaming culture out there in the Chicago area is a little different, I've discovered. For example, they believe that the less you need to involve the GM in the running of the game, the better. Fortunately Alice is meant to basically run itself, but Jared and I spent even less time than usual running around to answer player needs. It was slightly disconcerting, but it did allow Jared to play his NPC with less interruption, and me more time to watch all the lovely goings-on. :-) Also, they have a sensibility of it being slightly bad form to check one's character sheet during the game. They like to make miniature cheat sheets that they can tuck into their pockets, or inside a book or a hat, so that they break the immersion as little as possible. It's interesting to learn these things.
As for what happened, these are clearly some smart and talented people. I love when they surprise me, whether it's coming up with new interpretation of their characters, or trying unexpected ways of accomplishing their goals. This was also the first time I cast a Charlie I didn't already know. But this guy, Rex Balboa, really understood the character and did a fantastic job. JR Cillian Green, the guy who played the Dodo, was fantastic as well, translating the character's bitterness into a fantastic sarcasm and ironic cynicism. He also gets bonus points for his describing Wonderland as "a Mobius strip of stupid" and calling another character "pants-on-head retarded." For a Yahtzee-ism, he had to get a hug. Anandi Gandolfi as the Queen of Hearts was great, nailing the character with just the right intensity-- and she not only actually made sex happen in the game, she had a threesome and an orgy! I salute you, my lady. Kelly O'Donoghue played the Mock Turtle in a completely unexpected way, trying to protect herself by making herself useful to everyone with power she could find. That is a fun lady right there, full of personality and incredibly interesting to talk to. I'd love to have her in a game again. Hell, pretty much everyone I'd love to have in a game again. And hey, the Lion survived! He's never done that before. :-) The Jabberwock still, however, has yet to get out of a run alive.
I confess, I had moments where I was watching an interaction while giggling in the corner, to the point where I had to tell the amused players, "Ignore the giggling GM! She and her giggling aren't here!"
Doug and Gail, the couple who facilitated everything, were fantastic hosts. Doug also told me about a theory of casting I'd never heard before that actually seems really useful to the process. I thought he was referring to the Gamer-Narrativist-Simulationist theory, but this is something even more basic that is helpful for figuring out how to cast the people you've got signed up. He said people fall somewhere within the boundaries of the Roleplayer-Actor-Problem Solver triangle. He used a murder mystery context as the example. The Roleplayer as the murderer isn't going to want to get caught, because of course the character wouldn't. The Actor as the murderer wants to get caught, so he can play out that confrontation as a dramatic scene. The Problem Solver would rather be the detective all together so he can work out the mystery. Most players are some combination of all three with leanings toward one side or another. I would say I'm mostly an Actor, but there's definately indications of Roleplayer and Problem Solver in me. I may use this in the future when the casting gets tough, as so often lately it does.
So, all in all, a most excellent experience. And one I'm very proud to say I have had.
The gaming culture out there in the Chicago area is a little different, I've discovered. For example, they believe that the less you need to involve the GM in the running of the game, the better. Fortunately Alice is meant to basically run itself, but Jared and I spent even less time than usual running around to answer player needs. It was slightly disconcerting, but it did allow Jared to play his NPC with less interruption, and me more time to watch all the lovely goings-on. :-) Also, they have a sensibility of it being slightly bad form to check one's character sheet during the game. They like to make miniature cheat sheets that they can tuck into their pockets, or inside a book or a hat, so that they break the immersion as little as possible. It's interesting to learn these things.
As for what happened, these are clearly some smart and talented people. I love when they surprise me, whether it's coming up with new interpretation of their characters, or trying unexpected ways of accomplishing their goals. This was also the first time I cast a Charlie I didn't already know. But this guy, Rex Balboa, really understood the character and did a fantastic job. JR Cillian Green, the guy who played the Dodo, was fantastic as well, translating the character's bitterness into a fantastic sarcasm and ironic cynicism. He also gets bonus points for his describing Wonderland as "a Mobius strip of stupid" and calling another character "pants-on-head retarded." For a Yahtzee-ism, he had to get a hug. Anandi Gandolfi as the Queen of Hearts was great, nailing the character with just the right intensity-- and she not only actually made sex happen in the game, she had a threesome and an orgy! I salute you, my lady. Kelly O'Donoghue played the Mock Turtle in a completely unexpected way, trying to protect herself by making herself useful to everyone with power she could find. That is a fun lady right there, full of personality and incredibly interesting to talk to. I'd love to have her in a game again. Hell, pretty much everyone I'd love to have in a game again. And hey, the Lion survived! He's never done that before. :-) The Jabberwock still, however, has yet to get out of a run alive.
I confess, I had moments where I was watching an interaction while giggling in the corner, to the point where I had to tell the amused players, "Ignore the giggling GM! She and her giggling aren't here!"
Doug and Gail, the couple who facilitated everything, were fantastic hosts. Doug also told me about a theory of casting I'd never heard before that actually seems really useful to the process. I thought he was referring to the Gamer-Narrativist-Simulationist theory, but this is something even more basic that is helpful for figuring out how to cast the people you've got signed up. He said people fall somewhere within the boundaries of the Roleplayer-Actor-Problem Solver triangle. He used a murder mystery context as the example. The Roleplayer as the murderer isn't going to want to get caught, because of course the character wouldn't. The Actor as the murderer wants to get caught, so he can play out that confrontation as a dramatic scene. The Problem Solver would rather be the detective all together so he can work out the mystery. Most players are some combination of all three with leanings toward one side or another. I would say I'm mostly an Actor, but there's definately indications of Roleplayer and Problem Solver in me. I may use this in the future when the casting gets tough, as so often lately it does.
So, all in all, a most excellent experience. And one I'm very proud to say I have had.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Casey's birthday
Happy birthday to my brother Casey, who is twenty years old today.
God, it's hard to think of that guy as twenty. A twentieth birthday spent with his girlfriend in New Jersey sounds way too old to be my little brother.
God, it's hard to think of that guy as twenty. A twentieth birthday spent with his girlfriend in New Jersey sounds way too old to be my little brother.
Friday, August 21, 2009
PSA regarding this LiveJournal
Just a little heads-up to those of you that read this journal that might be helpful in the future.
I love journal tags. I just love them, and I put a lot of care into tagging my entries, not only just to gratify my compulsive need to categorize, but also so that you, dear readers, know what the substance of my writing for that particular selection is. When I tag an entry with "introspection," that means I'm talking about myself or something about the workings of me. Maybe the meaning of that tag isn't as intuitive as I thought it would be, but my intention was for it to denote when I was talking about things that are intrinsic to me, things that come from inside of me.
Me. As in, not you. So, if you see that, you can stop wondering.
If that tag's not there and you're not sure? Ask me. We're all adults here. I just love adult conversations; they're a nice change of pace. Then you don't have to wonder, and consequentially bring about any of those things that so often accompany wondering and complicate my life in ways you probably did not expect them to but still I do not desire to deal with.
Not that I'm criticizing, I understand the impulse-- I am probably more self-centered than you are. But see, that means chances are I'm going to be focusing on myself. So, dear readers, please err on the side of assuming it isn't about you.
Heh. Except for this one. This one is about you. ;-)
Much obliged.
I love journal tags. I just love them, and I put a lot of care into tagging my entries, not only just to gratify my compulsive need to categorize, but also so that you, dear readers, know what the substance of my writing for that particular selection is. When I tag an entry with "introspection," that means I'm talking about myself or something about the workings of me. Maybe the meaning of that tag isn't as intuitive as I thought it would be, but my intention was for it to denote when I was talking about things that are intrinsic to me, things that come from inside of me.
Me. As in, not you. So, if you see that, you can stop wondering.
If that tag's not there and you're not sure? Ask me. We're all adults here. I just love adult conversations; they're a nice change of pace. Then you don't have to wonder, and consequentially bring about any of those things that so often accompany wondering and complicate my life in ways you probably did not expect them to but still I do not desire to deal with.
Not that I'm criticizing, I understand the impulse-- I am probably more self-centered than you are. But see, that means chances are I'm going to be focusing on myself. So, dear readers, please err on the side of assuming it isn't about you.
Heh. Except for this one. This one is about you. ;-)
Much obliged.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Alice, about to go Midwest
I have inadvertently started Facebook-stalking Banquo. At least, his photo albums. The guy is ridulously attractive.
Speaking of attractive people, this coming weekend I go to Chicago to be with Jared and to run Alice for the local larping community. Let me tell you, preparing for that has been a learning experience-- specifically a lesson in humility and persistence.
As arrogant as it sounds, I am accustomed to my games filling up immediately, enthusiastically, with a waitlist well over capacity. For the first three runs, people fought to get into Alice, and any dropped place was instantly taken over by someone delighted to have it. Hell, I think at one point the Festival run of Oz had enough people waitlisted for an entire second game. I don't know if it's because I have plenty of kind and willing friends, or if my name is enough at this point to convince people that they're going to have a good time. This, by contrast, was a lot less easy. This will be the first run of Alice to run under maximum. Two characters had to be cut, while two more will be NPCed. Only recently did we even hit minimum. I can tell you, that was certainly a depressing feeling. I felt like I'd failed, like my game wasn't so welcome and well-recieved after all, like I wasn't ready to step out onto a larger stage than just my local community, and I was worried that I'd have to cancel it and lose the whole experience entirely. Fortunately we've got enough to run, and I have figured out the way to make it work with fewer than twenty-seven characters. It was tough, and it doesn't feel as good as I want it to, but I fixed it.
As bad as I felt, this is a good experience for me. Now I know that I have to work harder in a place where I don't have credit already built up. I have to step it up if I'm going to be a presence in bigger ponds than the one I come from. Also, this will teach me to be flexible, to find ways to make games work and work well in less than ideal situations. I have adjusted Alice to function under the current set of circumstances, and I think it's going to come out just fine. My records don't like gaps the player shortage puts in them, but that I'll just have to get over. In the end, I will be a better GM for it.
And who knows? If this goes well, perhaps I'll be invited back, whether to run Alice again or to bring other games. And maybe then the people who liked this first one will tell everyone that the experience is good, and so more people will be more enthusiastic about playing in my games. And then I won't have to run under maximum anymore.
So this is a positive experience. I should be making the most of it, even if it's not exactly what I wanted.
Speaking of attractive people, this coming weekend I go to Chicago to be with Jared and to run Alice for the local larping community. Let me tell you, preparing for that has been a learning experience-- specifically a lesson in humility and persistence.
As arrogant as it sounds, I am accustomed to my games filling up immediately, enthusiastically, with a waitlist well over capacity. For the first three runs, people fought to get into Alice, and any dropped place was instantly taken over by someone delighted to have it. Hell, I think at one point the Festival run of Oz had enough people waitlisted for an entire second game. I don't know if it's because I have plenty of kind and willing friends, or if my name is enough at this point to convince people that they're going to have a good time. This, by contrast, was a lot less easy. This will be the first run of Alice to run under maximum. Two characters had to be cut, while two more will be NPCed. Only recently did we even hit minimum. I can tell you, that was certainly a depressing feeling. I felt like I'd failed, like my game wasn't so welcome and well-recieved after all, like I wasn't ready to step out onto a larger stage than just my local community, and I was worried that I'd have to cancel it and lose the whole experience entirely. Fortunately we've got enough to run, and I have figured out the way to make it work with fewer than twenty-seven characters. It was tough, and it doesn't feel as good as I want it to, but I fixed it.
As bad as I felt, this is a good experience for me. Now I know that I have to work harder in a place where I don't have credit already built up. I have to step it up if I'm going to be a presence in bigger ponds than the one I come from. Also, this will teach me to be flexible, to find ways to make games work and work well in less than ideal situations. I have adjusted Alice to function under the current set of circumstances, and I think it's going to come out just fine. My records don't like gaps the player shortage puts in them, but that I'll just have to get over. In the end, I will be a better GM for it.
And who knows? If this goes well, perhaps I'll be invited back, whether to run Alice again or to bring other games. And maybe then the people who liked this first one will tell everyone that the experience is good, and so more people will be more enthusiastic about playing in my games. And then I won't have to run under maximum anymore.
So this is a positive experience. I should be making the most of it, even if it's not exactly what I wanted.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The beauty of butter
I'm always surprised by just how delicious common table butter is. Because I usually cook kosher and rarely don't prepare meat, if I have need of something like butter I'm typically forced to resort to Smart Balance. When I get the chance to have actual butter again, it's so tasty I can't believe it. No wonder I can't fucking make gravy, if I'm stuck with cheap imitations in my roux.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Not worth the time
I don't understand people who stick around where they're not wanted.
Why would anybody want to be the friend of anybody who doesn't want to be theirs? I don't have the time to waste. It's a matter of self-respect.
Maybe I've got too much of a sense of my own importance. But my company is a privilege. If you're not going to appreciate it, you don't deserve it.
Why would anybody want to be the friend of anybody who doesn't want to be theirs? I don't have the time to waste. It's a matter of self-respect.
Maybe I've got too much of a sense of my own importance. But my company is a privilege. If you're not going to appreciate it, you don't deserve it.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Close of Macbeth
Macbeth cast party last night. It was a lot of fun; there was swimming and really good food and the cast members were fun. And yes, I did look good in my bikini, and gratifyingly it did not go unnoticed (including by the looker playing Banquo, heh heh.) I am extremely sorry I missed the party thrown by laurion however; from what I heard it was a really good time, but I felt like I shouldn't snub the people in the play. I might audition for this group again sometime, who knows. Chad, have another party sometime, and I promise I'll come. :-)
Closing night tonight. I'm excited for the barbecue beforehand. I have agreed to make my mother's fantastic potato salad for it. It's the potato salad for people like myself who don't like potato salad, many kinds of vegetables only very lightly dressed with mayo and sour cream. A healthier and in my opinion tastier version of the traditional "just potatoes and a gallon of mayonnaise" kind.
Closing night tonight. I'm excited for the barbecue beforehand. I have agreed to make my mother's fantastic potato salad for it. It's the potato salad for people like myself who don't like potato salad, many kinds of vegetables only very lightly dressed with mayo and sour cream. A healthier and in my opinion tastier version of the traditional "just potatoes and a gallon of mayonnaise" kind.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Office Supplies
So, at my silly temporary office job at this non-profit in Newton, one of my recent (few) responsibilities was to organize the office supplies in the filing cabinet in my little office. I actually kind of enjoyed it, I'm good at organizing and it let my brain wander. Through the process I discovered there was an enormous amount of extra, well, everything-- so much so that buying any more of a number of things would be a total waste of money. Makes me wish I were more inclined to steal office supplies. But, being me, I couldn't just TELL my coworkers this. I wrote a humorous e-mail informing them of the various ways I would use these office supplies if they insisted on buying more of them.
Hi, everyone in CLLC,
Phoebe, the temp filling in for Amy, here. I just got done sorting through the cabinet in Amy’s office full of various supplies. And let me tell you, we have a lot of stuff. So much stuff it makes me think that maybe buying more stuff isn’t such a great idea.
Just how much stuff do we have?
We have enough refill rolls of Scotch tape that I could use it to seal all of you in your offices for all eternity while I stole everyone’s lunches out of the refrigerator. Is that what you want? If you buy more Scotch tape, you’ll only make it easier for me.
Don’t even think about getting more rubber bands. The more rubber bands you supply me with, the more irresistibly I shall be forced to follow you around all day, shooting them at you like little slingshots. For you it’ll get old fast, but trust me, it won’t for me. So don’t buy more rubber bands.
If someone says to you that they need binder clips, they are an egregious liar, and you should immediately become suspicious of anything else they say. They’re probably trying to divert funds into their secret criminal enterprise, in fact. And do not be deceived by “Oh, I need a special SIZE of binder clip.” Because we have EVERY size of binder clip. We have big giant binder clips I could use to subdue rioting prisoners and then temporarily clamp their hands together with. We have teeny tiny binder clips that I can only surmise are designed for keeping track of very important individual strands of human hair. And we have every size of binder clip in between, so if you’ve got a binder that needs clipping, there exists in this office the right clip for you.
We have so many push pins I kind of want to declare war on some tiny foreign country just so I can use them to explain my troop movements on a great big map. Unless you want to be personally responsible for my devastation of some innocent people by senseless push pin-motivated war, don’t buy more push pins. Oh, and if any more highlighters get bought, I will use them to draw war paint on my troops.
If you need holders for name tags, you’d better get them out of the drawer in Amy’s office, or else I will force you to wear a name tag that says something mean on it, like, “I buy unnecessary office supplies, shun me,” or “My head is strangely shaped.”
Do not bring more Post-it notes into this office unless you want to stumble upon the temp building a fort for herself entirely out of Post-its in the middle of the hallway. It might take up a lot of space, given how many we’ve got. And I won’t let you in, it’ll be my fort. If you mess with it, I will have no choice but to defend it by shooting staples at you. Or by firing more rubber bands. After all, we’ll have so many of them. Don’t buy staples, either. They would be a big help sealing all of you in your offices.
So, to summarize this rambling way of getting to my point, if you need some kind of office supply, chances are there is more than enough of it in the filing cabinet right behind me, so it’s probably a good idea to instead consult the now-beautifully-organized drawer instead of spending money on more. The consequences, as I have just explained, would be dire. So remember to be suspicious of anyone who tells you they need to order office stuff. They’re probably trying to appropriate company money to buy drugs.
Your loving temp,
Phoebe
I was a bit concerned whether it was over the line for a brand-new temp, but I figured what the hell. It's the most fun I've had since I started.
I hope they do not interpet this as "Clearly the temp needs more work to do." Though it probably is true.
Hi, everyone in CLLC,
Phoebe, the temp filling in for Amy, here. I just got done sorting through the cabinet in Amy’s office full of various supplies. And let me tell you, we have a lot of stuff. So much stuff it makes me think that maybe buying more stuff isn’t such a great idea.
Just how much stuff do we have?
We have enough refill rolls of Scotch tape that I could use it to seal all of you in your offices for all eternity while I stole everyone’s lunches out of the refrigerator. Is that what you want? If you buy more Scotch tape, you’ll only make it easier for me.
Don’t even think about getting more rubber bands. The more rubber bands you supply me with, the more irresistibly I shall be forced to follow you around all day, shooting them at you like little slingshots. For you it’ll get old fast, but trust me, it won’t for me. So don’t buy more rubber bands.
If someone says to you that they need binder clips, they are an egregious liar, and you should immediately become suspicious of anything else they say. They’re probably trying to divert funds into their secret criminal enterprise, in fact. And do not be deceived by “Oh, I need a special SIZE of binder clip.” Because we have EVERY size of binder clip. We have big giant binder clips I could use to subdue rioting prisoners and then temporarily clamp their hands together with. We have teeny tiny binder clips that I can only surmise are designed for keeping track of very important individual strands of human hair. And we have every size of binder clip in between, so if you’ve got a binder that needs clipping, there exists in this office the right clip for you.
We have so many push pins I kind of want to declare war on some tiny foreign country just so I can use them to explain my troop movements on a great big map. Unless you want to be personally responsible for my devastation of some innocent people by senseless push pin-motivated war, don’t buy more push pins. Oh, and if any more highlighters get bought, I will use them to draw war paint on my troops.
If you need holders for name tags, you’d better get them out of the drawer in Amy’s office, or else I will force you to wear a name tag that says something mean on it, like, “I buy unnecessary office supplies, shun me,” or “My head is strangely shaped.”
Do not bring more Post-it notes into this office unless you want to stumble upon the temp building a fort for herself entirely out of Post-its in the middle of the hallway. It might take up a lot of space, given how many we’ve got. And I won’t let you in, it’ll be my fort. If you mess with it, I will have no choice but to defend it by shooting staples at you. Or by firing more rubber bands. After all, we’ll have so many of them. Don’t buy staples, either. They would be a big help sealing all of you in your offices.
So, to summarize this rambling way of getting to my point, if you need some kind of office supply, chances are there is more than enough of it in the filing cabinet right behind me, so it’s probably a good idea to instead consult the now-beautifully-organized drawer instead of spending money on more. The consequences, as I have just explained, would be dire. So remember to be suspicious of anyone who tells you they need to order office stuff. They’re probably trying to appropriate company money to buy drugs.
Your loving temp,
Phoebe
I was a bit concerned whether it was over the line for a brand-new temp, but I figured what the hell. It's the most fun I've had since I started.
I hope they do not interpet this as "Clearly the temp needs more work to do." Though it probably is true.
Back to the crunch
Wow, today really crept up on me. My much-needed week (well, four days) of not having anywhere to be in the evenings has absolutely flown by, and now I have my second and final weekend of performances for Macbeth. Today is going to be a pain, pretty much as soon as I'm out of work I'll have to bolt down some lunch and make that damned drive up to Duxbury. Tonight will be rough, but at least Saturday and Sunday will be nicer. Tomorrow night will be the cast party, which will be at the stage manager's family's pool. I am looking forward to that, possibly because my vanity desires to look ridiculously hot in my bikini after looking like a sixteen-year-old boy in front of them for a couple weeks now. And on Sunday, my big crowd of lovely friends will be picnicking at the park that day through the time of the show. We're going to bring a grill and food and stuff, then they're all going to see the play. It will be lovely, and I'm very glad they're all coming. You totally should too, if you aren't already. :-) Contact me, and we'll work you into the plan.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Squash Parmesan
I wrote my very first recipe yesterday. Well, sort of. In the very loosest sense possible. I had all this squash in my fridge that my parents brought me from their garden-- one zucchini, one butterut, and one acorn. Not enough of any one squash to make a dish, so I wanted to do something that could use all three. Bernie suggested trying to make a squash version of eggplant parmesan. I couldn't find a recipe for one I liked, so I sort of figured out my own based on what I've learned about cooking squash and making the eggplant kind. I chopped up all the squash, then dipped the pieces in egg batter, then breaded them with breadcrumbs. I browned the pieces on all sides in a saute pan, then layered then in a pie pan with parmesan and mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, and baked it in the oven at 375 for thirty or forty minutes. It came out really tasty, and I'm pleased with myself for going out on a limb a little and trusting my cooking knowledge to experiment a little. I know, that's about as little experimentation as you can do, but still. Baby steps. Tasty ones. :-)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Headset
I left my headset backstage in Duxbury. At least Patrick found it. Seriously, sometimes I cam be such a dumbass.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Thinking about Romeo and Juliet
I'm thinking now, as Macbeth winds down, about the upcoming Hold Thy Peace production of Romeo and Juliet. I am deciding whether or not to try out. I'm very tempted, that's for sure; I love being in a show, I love being in Hold Thy Peace, and I'm interested in working with Elana as a director. I'd probably miss it keenly if I didn't do it. I have reservations about it, though. Even though I know it is all right for graduates to be in shows, I don't want to do anything inappropriate. Also, I worry about the time commitment of working during the day and having rehearsal at night. Maybe if I went out for a small, fun part, like the Nurse. I really like the Nurse. :-) Or, heh, ask if I could be Rosaline, the pretty girl at the party with no lines. Maybe I'll talk to Elana about it.
Weird
Second night of Mcbeth last night. Again, the show went well, and we had a decent-sized audience that seemed to enjoy our work. Weirdest thing happened to me, though.
There's one guy in the show, the one who plays Duncan, that I think seems interesting, and he's one of the more talented actors in my opinion. He... won't talk to me. I'm not sure what's going on. If I'm part of a conversation, he'll kind of ignore me, and if I address something to him directly, he'll never look at me and will usually find a way to direct his answer to someone else. It was really bugging me; I have no idea why he'd do that. It was kind of hurting my feelings until I decided whatever, it's not my fault he's mean or rude.
Then yesterday, since there unfortunately is no on-site bathroom at the outdoor stage where we're performing, I snuck off to my car during intermission to use a restroom in one of the restaurants just down the road, still wearing my costume for quickness's sake. As I was going in, a woman coming out said to me, "This is the ladies room-- oh, God, sorry!" Apparently she mistook me at first for the boy I was trying to look like. Heh, good deal.
When I returned to the stage, I related this amusing anecdote this my castmates. And then Duncan, without looking at me as usual, suddenly says to me "You don't look like a boy. You're very beautiful." He then proceeds to walk away.
Buh? After weeks of refusing to talk to me, he busts out with that? I... don't get it. Is this nothing more than a very high school case of "I can't talk to pretty girls"?
It may be rain tonight in Duxbury, which would cancel the show. We've decided we're all going to go out to dinner together if that is the case. I actually quite like the sound of that.
There's one guy in the show, the one who plays Duncan, that I think seems interesting, and he's one of the more talented actors in my opinion. He... won't talk to me. I'm not sure what's going on. If I'm part of a conversation, he'll kind of ignore me, and if I address something to him directly, he'll never look at me and will usually find a way to direct his answer to someone else. It was really bugging me; I have no idea why he'd do that. It was kind of hurting my feelings until I decided whatever, it's not my fault he's mean or rude.
Then yesterday, since there unfortunately is no on-site bathroom at the outdoor stage where we're performing, I snuck off to my car during intermission to use a restroom in one of the restaurants just down the road, still wearing my costume for quickness's sake. As I was going in, a woman coming out said to me, "This is the ladies room-- oh, God, sorry!" Apparently she mistook me at first for the boy I was trying to look like. Heh, good deal.
When I returned to the stage, I related this amusing anecdote this my castmates. And then Duncan, without looking at me as usual, suddenly says to me "You don't look like a boy. You're very beautiful." He then proceeds to walk away.
Buh? After weeks of refusing to talk to me, he busts out with that? I... don't get it. Is this nothing more than a very high school case of "I can't talk to pretty girls"?
It may be rain tonight in Duxbury, which would cancel the show. We've decided we're all going to go out to dinner together if that is the case. I actually quite like the sound of that.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Opening night of Macbeth
Yesterday was opening night for Macbeth, and the show went very well. We had a decent-sized audience, and I was honored by the presence of Bernie, bronzite, and ninja_report among them. Bernie brought me gorgeous yellow-orange roses, and the four of us went out for a lovely dinner afterward. An excellent evening all around. I hope to see more of you there, though I gather more of you are coming next weekend than this.
Yesterday we also finally have our fifth housemate at Elsinore with us with the moving in of Ryan. I was sorry I wasn't around to greet him or help him with anything when he arrived, I was already at call, but he's not fully moved in yet, so I hope I can make myself useful at some point during the process.
Yesterday we also finally have our fifth housemate at Elsinore with us with the moving in of Ryan. I was sorry I wasn't around to greet him or help him with anything when he arrived, I was already at call, but he's not fully moved in yet, so I hope I can make myself useful at some point during the process.
She DOESN'T BAKE.
Why does Rachael Ray have a line of bakeware now? She says ALL THE TIME that she DOESN'T BAKE. You can't bake if you're not willing to measure.
At least all the proceeds go to charity.
At least all the proceeds go to charity.
Petals and pearls
Rose petals and pearls.
There is nothing in the world like the feeling of the real deal sliding against your skin.
There is nothing in the world like the feeling of the real deal sliding against your skin.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Strange
I remember from Quinney's Western Canon class reading the Odyssey. She told us that Penelope says "You are so strange," to Odysseus upon their reunion as an expression of endearment. That strikes me somehow; I like it. I'm not exactly sure what I think it means, but since I have fallen in part for men for their strangeness, their difference from the norm, and anyone who loves me must love the strangeness, it strikes a cord with me.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Banquo
I like the actor playing Banquo. He's a Star Trek fan and threatened to steal my "Khaaaaaaaaaan!" shirt if it weren't so small. He's a bit on the arrogant side, but he's nice and I find it charming, and he certainly is talented. Good-looking, too. Heh, what is it with me and having attractive people play my dad? First Jared in King Lear, now this. At least I'm not dating this one.
...
Ee. Now that I think of it, this is the first show I've been in in years where I haven't dated the lead. Is that weird? I think it is.
...
Ee. Now that I think of it, this is the first show I've been in in years where I haven't dated the lead. Is that weird? I think it is.
Best name ever
Today I saw a truck emblazoned with the words "DEATHWISH Piano Movers". Best name for a piano moving company ever. If I ever need to have a piano moved, that's who I'm calling. Where in the world did they get a name like that?
Edited because rigel and londo are smart.
Edited because rigel and londo are smart.
Chill tomorrow
I need a shower. I feel, as my Masks character was aligned, thoroughly vile. It would definately help me relax.
Tomorrow will be a respite from the crazy, thank God. I am going to work out in the morning, then meet my mother, who is in town, to go into Boston. I would like to go to BSCF, but I will likely be having dinner with the parents. I'm very happy to have one day with no schedule to adhere to, before three days of driving to Duxbury for the show. It will be nice to see my mom and dad, it's been a while, but part of me just wants to spend tomorrow laying around in my underwear watching TV.
Tomorrow will be a respite from the crazy, thank God. I am going to work out in the morning, then meet my mother, who is in town, to go into Boston. I would like to go to BSCF, but I will likely be having dinner with the parents. I'm very happy to have one day with no schedule to adhere to, before three days of driving to Duxbury for the show. It will be nice to see my mom and dad, it's been a while, but part of me just wants to spend tomorrow laying around in my underwear watching TV.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Huh
I always get bemused when someone sends in a casting questionnaire asking if they can interact with their SO that's not signed up for the game. Wouldn't they be aware of that fact? Don't people in relationships talk about that sort of thing?
Weary
So I ended up going to rehearsal tonight. I didn't want my director getting pissed with me. I am so blasted.
Also? The guy playing Macbeth? Is going to be playing Jimmy in The Gingerbread Lady. Apparently he has to play every role that Alain has. :-P
Also? The guy playing Macbeth? Is going to be playing Jimmy in The Gingerbread Lady. Apparently he has to play every role that Alain has. :-P
Decided
I am not going to rehearsal tonight. I am just too exhausted. I am going to call in sick, stay home, and try to regain some of my energy. I think that's what I need, or on opening night, I am just going to be useless.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Feeling lousy
Feeling run down lately. I haven't gotten more than five hours of sleep a night in about three weeks now, enough to keep me functional but not enough to stave off the dragging weary heaviness. And I'm just starting a new work thing while my show goes into hell week, so things are momentarily hitting me worse. As for the job, it's just a stupid part-time thing, so hopefully it won't weigh too much once the show ends.
I feel like a whiner saying so, but I have generally not felt well, in a number of ways, for a while now. I'm typically a very healthy person, so this is pretty out of the ordinary for me. I'm starting to worry if something might be really wrong, or if my stress level is getting out of control.
I feel like a whiner saying so, but I have generally not felt well, in a number of ways, for a while now. I'm typically a very healthy person, so this is pretty out of the ordinary for me. I'm starting to worry if something might be really wrong, or if my stress level is getting out of control.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Long rehearsal
Been at rehearsal at the outdoor performance save in Duxbury since eleven o'clock this morning. I'm hot, tired, bitten by bugs, and sore from having my chest bound all day. That said, it looks to be a good show. Since it's outdoors on the grass, I suggest those coming bring a blanket or something to sit on. I'm starting to run out of energy, though, so I'm hoping things go smoothly and I'm not too wiped by the long drive home.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Dinner for Jenn and John
From noon on till seven at night, I spent cooking for a dinner for in_water_writ and 1takejohnny since they're in town. I'm very pleased with myself. I made butternut squash soup, apricot and cippolini braised chicken, stuffed portobello mushrooms, and brussel sprouts. I had no idea a butternut squash was so difficult to break down; peeling, chopping, and seeding three decent-sized ones took the better part of an hour. I also had four pots of the chicken braising on the stovetop at once, a juggling act that I am incredibly proud to have pulled off. This is the second time I made that dish, and last time I forgot to add the apricots at the right time, and had to overdo the dish trying to get them to the proper consistency, but this time around things came out tender and lovely. It was a really fantastic evening, with good company and good conversation. I'm so glad to hear that Jenn and John will be moving back into town; I've really missed having her around.
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