The Message Read,

"The show is canceled my friend."

The 'show' being a remount of my 1st original produced stage play: 2002's 'Lumpkin's Big Top'. The reason why the remount has been canceled is because it was being produced, this time, in Joplin, MO! In case you haven't heard, or are reading this sometime in the distant future Joplin was recently hit by a monster tornado.

According to the Joplin Globe the tornado, an EF-5, was the 8th deadliest tornado in US history, and killed at least 122 people. My friends in Joplin were unharmed by the storm but the town will never be the same. In light of current events, I am completely understanding as to why the play would not go on. In fact, when I 1st heard the news the 2 things that ran through my head were, "I hope my friends are okay." followed by, "Guess the show won't go up."

This play, which had it's fair share of problems the 1st time around, will have to go without a 2nd production for the time being. That's just the way things are. I hope the good folks of Joplin are on their way towards recovering from this horrible disaster.

Techno-Rage!

What's the point of all this fancy new, cutting edge and ever changing new technology if when your fancy touch screen cell phone screen breaks you can't retrieve any of the media saved on the damned device? I have pictures and video on the phone that I want to keep, some with sentimental value, but the people at the corporate cell phone store told me they couldn't transfer the data because the screen is broken and they can't access the menu! Argh!
Be Ready! Skynet will soon become self-aware and we'll all be in for it!

Since The World Didn't End Today...

...I guess I'll read:

















I've been on a Memoir kick lately. I just finished:










and before that:









by Carrie Fisher

Of Course The World Is Going To End Tomorrow!

I sense a change in the air. I've had a few dice start to roll my way. I'm feeling kinda positive about life in general. I'm anticipating an eventful year...

World's gotta end! Sky's gonna fall! Rapture! Judgement!

Hey wait a minute I just resigned my benefits package at work; should I have added some AFLAC: END OF THE WORLD Insurance?

Oh, and, to top it off Randy 'Macho' Man Savage died today in a car accident! (Unofficially, I heard he had a heart attack, and then crashed his car.) The Macho Man is dead! Another one of my childhood heroes has died. What really pisses me off is that he missed the Rapture by 1 day! We could've used Randy Savage against the evil legions! I'm just saying...

It's So Easy

To get wrapped up in my own little world. Sometimes I'm dragged down by the undertow of my self-pity.

Tonight I saw a Facebook "Friend's" status alerting everyone that he was home and recovering from a kidney transplant. Wow! Yes, I have kidney issues. I've had medical ordeals, but this guy, younger than me, has had a kidney transplant...

I guess I'm doing okay. Good luck to my "friend".

Today At Work

We were given our contracts for next year, then had a mandatory meeting about changes in our benefits package, and told we had one week to finish all the necessary paperwork. That's a lot t take in. People were not happy. I'm just confused. and frustrated. I don't suppose the gas prices will recover in that week...

It was a good weekend!

Considering I ended the work week stressed out, once again, about money and my current job, and sick with a head cold the weekend turned out to be surprisingly refreshing.

Saturday I got up early, took some cold meds, and headed out early with Adam to play paintball! A friend of mine was throwing a big guys weekend retreat for friends from out of town and invited me along to play some paintball. It was a much needed day of fun, strategy, and Terminator quotes! Then I came home to have dinner with Sara and watch date movie.

Sunday, I just lazed around the house. I straightened a tiny bit, went for a long walk with Tootsie, and enjoyed the weather with a book. Very relaxing. I'm still not feeling 100% but I definitely feel better.

Change Of Plans

I was writing a post that would address the negative vibe from my birthday post, but then the rebuttal post became overwhelmingly negative. I started going on and on about financial stress, bad decisions, and shell-shock. I was hoping to end the post with some positive words, or thoughts but the negativity kept seeping back in. So I scrapped it.

Then this morning I wake up to pictures and videos of people partying in the streets! Facebook statuses celebrating! Osama Bin Laden is dead! That's a good thing, I guess. He was the cause of so much grief and tragedy! He wounded this country and her citizens so deeply! I'm okay with his death. I'm not gonna run out into the streets and start swinging from streetlights, or crowd-surfing though. The evil SOB is dead, but do we need to throw a frat party to celebrate?

Oh, and I'm disturbed by the images of young children celebrating and holding up homemade poster board signs that usually would read, "I love Justin Bieber!" or "The Wiggles Rocks!" but today the sign reads, "Yeah, Osama is Dead!" That's weird.

It Happens Sometimes...

Sometimes life just gets in the way.

I had planned to complete another one of my scripts by today, my birthday, but I didn't.

There were many factors that contributed towards my delinquency, and none too exciting: work matters, money matters, personal matters, Spring Break, etc. Life encroached on my plans and I didn't follow through with my goal. I am easily distracted these days. It's gotten to be a familiar tune to these ears of mine. Life, lately, hasn't been what we had once hoped it would be, and so then I begin to doubt decisions already made, steps to be taken, and directions to be followed. With all of this in mind it is hard to focus on a pet project that, more than likely, will not better our situation. Am I willing to keep expending energy on, spinning my wheels for these fruitless minor undertakings? Am I?

Who knows? Today I enter into my late/mid 30's and I am no better off than I have been in years past. This doesn't apply to every aspect of my life, obviously, but many that I always hoped would improve with time. I am still trying to figure out my finances, my career, my direction in life, and my identity as an artist, if that is what I claim to be. These gray areas, smudges of uncertainty, in my life weigh me down beneath their burden as if I were a smaller scaled Atlas being punished for some unknown transgression that, when it eventually is brought to light, will be revealed to be caused by my own self.

In summation, I guess I'm just feeling a little blue about another year passing me by and leaving me still holding my sack full of unanswered questions. This long death of life moves on and I, like many many more, have no idea of how to manipulate the rudder effectively and so must hope for favorable winds and gentle currents. I don't mind the occasional swell, or passing storm but this aimless drifting grows weary. I must somehow find my way forward before I fall off the edge of the world.

Ramps?

Have you heard of these? According to theforagepress.com a Ramp is a wild leek. The kept popping up during our recent trip. A friend of mine tempuras the ramps at his restaurant in Pine Spruce, NC. The caretaker of the cabin we stayed in up near Buladean, NC came back one day from a hike in the woods, with his family, carrying a bunch of ramps. He gave us some and I sauteed them with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and a handful of almonds I'd toasted before. They were delicious. I'd never heard of them before a week ago.