I'm on break from working at Teavana in the mall. The dress code there errs on the side of dressy, and I'm pushing it that day. I'm wearing an orange argyle sweater over a dress shirt, with khaki's and nice black shoes. But I've seen these wristband things around that I want, so I go to Hot Topic to check them out. I know I look like the biggest tool ever walking into a Hot Topic like this. Here I am, dressed like a dad, perusing the middle school emo girl store. And then a customer walks up to me and asks (as I'm admiring a black vest covered in chains, while wearing my argyle sweater), whether or not I work there. I know the bright colors make me stick out, but I wasn't aware that goth had become SO GOTH that it went back around to business semi-casual.
I've been at my jobs long enough now that I'm applying for big boy employment again. As stupid as the OSU website is, I've been applying there a lot. I even went to introduce myself in person -- which required me to go to campus. And you know what? I'd never been on campus-campus before. Yeah, I've been on High Street. But... there are ovals on campus! And quads! It actually does look like a real college! So now I have my map of campus to help me find my way around while I'm down there looking like a frosh. And at OSU, there are freshmen far older than me.
Nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Essentially, my life travels in a simple loop. Wake up, read a book, work, drink, sleep. It's a pleasant cycle, but a boring one. Oh, my first student loan is due soon. This is the start of a very ugly, retarded thing.
EXPERIENCED:
In Bruges
Moon
The Golden Compass - Philip Pulman
The Subtle Knife - Philip Pulman
Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo
The Memory of Water [Hill Theatre]
A Flea in Her Ear [Bolton Theatre]
Who Do You Think You Are? - SITI Company [Wexner Center]
Easton Town Center -- the mecca of shopping. You think I'm kidding? Google Maps it. Switch to Sattelite view and be disenchanted with humanity. This place might've been cheaper to build if they went to the UK, ripped up two square miles of land, and airlifted it to Ohio. It's an outdoor mall, lain out to feel 'European'. And it works, it does resemble shopping in Europe. Minus the American aesthetics and inflated prices ($275 for a pair of jeans? No thank you, Nordstrom). I come here to feel rich and successful. But now I work here, which can be fun too. Last time I worked at Easton, I read Edward Bellamy's treatise on the shortcomings of capitalism, Looking Backward. So it's one of those things that's fun to me in a sociological kind of way (or sociopathological).
And I sell tea. Organic, delicious, loose leaf, only bought from the top 5% of tea crops in the world kind of tea. And it's healthy -- too healthy. All the free radicals and whatnot just keep come pouring out of my body. Which, as you can only too graphically imagine, is from one of two holes.
I kept fucking up yesterday though. Haven't made a good sale yet. The other guy I'm training with is a Chinese major, so he has an incredible knowledge of the meanings of things already. So I constantly feel like I'm playing catch-up. And training for two jobs at once isn't fun. Kind of nice to have a life, but I just wish that I could have a life in theater already.
Speaking of which, my 2010-11 Yale Drama brochure arrived in the mail. I am pumped. But it featured Jennifer Tipton -- the achilles heel of all 09 Kenyon Drama majors. She was on our comps, and no one knew who she was. Now none of us will ever forget. But anyway, I feel like I'm falling out of practice with theater and I just want to get back on track. I don't feel like I've been wasting my time, but everything seems excruciatingly hard to land for me. So many of the other grads have theater things already. Why can't I be doing a show right now?
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EXPERIENCED:
Blankets - Craig Thompson
Departures
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THIS WEEK: Stargate Universe (!!!), SITI company at the Wex, Raconteur gathering
Y: The Last Man (vol. 1+2), Batman: Hush, Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass [which is surprisingly addictive for a DS game), All Quiet on the Western Front, In Bruges, Throne of Blood (!!!), 2 mix CDs of current alternative radio hits (yay for friends in radio!), cash-moneyz, The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, King Lear (w/ Ian McKellen and his dong), and Metroid Prime 3
Went in for not one, but TWO interviews on my birthday. Got both of the jobs. Lovely. So now I'm essentially full time at nigh minimum wage. Working at both Teavana and Old Navy. One sounds fun and exactly the kind of place for me. Guess which one. Also, I spent $60 on tea there already. That couldn't have hurt my chances. Further, I also signed an agreement to join the first ensemble company of Raconteur Theater. So, you know. Three jobs in one week -- that's not too bad now, is't?
I also went to Waterfire as my birthday activity. Sort of. I had a dinner of Japanese food with good friends ON my birthday, followed by hookah. This was supplementary, but the main thing I wanted to do. Pretty much everyone flaked out or couldn't do it. Very disgruntling. One guy I had just met was able to come. We had a good time. Saw the opera. It was a VERY poor English translation of Italian. Some of the lines, I kid you not, were "You are shady!" and "I wasn't sleeping. I was just pretending." But sung. So imagine sounding even worse. Oh, and the only musical accompaniment was on an electric keyboard. Played poorly by a geriatric man. It was astounding in how bad it was. The director was directing for the first time and the tech was horrible. I couldn't see anybody from the front row and there was ONE yellow light for gods know why. Anyway, had a laugh and ended up at Shadowbox later. Which was also fun. So while most everyone I knew wasn't there, I had a great time. And you know, there were 30 bonfires on the river downtown to accompany the opera. So at least it looked pretty.
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EXPERIENCED:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time - Mark Haddon
The History of Shotguns
Big Bang Theory
Y: The Last Man
Batman: Hush
La Boheme -- opera columbus
Bad to the Bone - Shadowbox Cabaret
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THIS WEEK: training, DEPARTURES, Zelda and Metroid action, SURROGATES
One thing I forgot to mention last time was that in Inglourious Basterds, I know the actor who played Hitler. I hung out with him in his dressing room after a play in London -- a bad play, but he was good in it. He's a friend of Wendy's, so the entire time I was watching the movie -- all I could think in horror was 'I've hung out with Hitler!' But this also means that I'm connected to Quentin Tarantino by two degrees of separation. I'm putting him on the board of famous people that somehow revolve in my circle within two degrees. So far, this also includes Martin Scorcese, Barack Obama, Arnold Schwarzenneger, and Jim Borgman.
I have succesfully set up a bachelor pad in my basement. By 'pad', I mean section of carpet and pipes I've liberated, and by 'bachelor', I mean a couch, Wii, and microwave. So far, much enjoyment has been had and many Metroid asses have been kicked. This gives 'pad' gives me some sense of privacy in an otherwise very open house. Of course, this now means that I am literally a college graduate who spends most of his time in his parents basement. Fantastic.
I have two very strong candidates for part time jobs lined up -- I hope they mesh together. And both interview me. Both are retail. One would be at the aptly named Teavana, where I will drink and sell delicious organic tea all day. The other is at Old Navy, where also 50% of the people I know in Columbus do or will work. Been in a foul mood, but working on connecting with new people and making friends. I'm afraid that I'm stuck at home until I can afford a car, insurance, and actual apartment rent. Yay, life. Trying to make the most of that, which mostly entails sitting in my bachelor pad and playing Metroid.
That could be a punchline if it weren't so sad.
-----------------------------
EXPERIENCED:
The Last Unicorn
Michael Clayton
Slapstick - Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Metroid Prime 2
Woodstock: Back to the Garden @ Shadowbox Cabaret
----------------------------
THIS WEEK: Birthday celebrations, Restaurant Hama, booze, DEPARTURES, Waterfire: Opera, interview, Metroid Prime 3 (?!)
- I don't understand the American fear of socialized healthcare. What's so frightening? These town hall meetings on TV are really pissing me off. Mostly, because I have a lot to gain if this passes. ie: healthcare. Then I can get that cancerous mole on my back taken care of.
- Driver's license: check. Now, instead of moping around the house, I sit in a car all day. It's a welcome change.
- Still trying to buy a car. I -love- the Ford Focus, so I was really hoping to buy one. I found some sketchy one on the east side of the city. And it being the east side, of course that guaranteed the seller would be sketchy too. As a preface to this story: there is a Russian mafia in Columbus. This is a fact. I don't want to get killed for advertising it on the internet, so let it suffice to say that I know through my dealings with a crazy Russian lady who grew up under Stalin. So I get to this dodgy dirt-lot repair shop and this Of-Mice-and-Men-esque stuttering guy takes me around the corner to see the owner -- who had some Russian-sounding name. There's a door in the wall behind the shop. This door leads to a concrete room with a single lightbulb on a cord hanging from the ceiling. I kid you not, there was the owner and three people in business suits sitting around a card table. At that point, the red lights were blinking in my head and I just looked at the car for shits and giggles. The one they advertised... didn't even start. But they had another Focus they had forgotten about that did start. But it was manual, so I said I'd learn stick and get back to them. I didn't. And that's how I almost bought a car from the mob.
- Went to Kenyon on Convocation Day. That's 5 years in a row I've been on campus for that day. Hung out with Caitlin, Susan, Julian, Fraser, Kaitlyn, Martine, Luis, Stephen, Michael, Robby, and Jamal. It was pretty epic and I enjoyed myself immensely. If I could afford to drive up there every week, I would.
- I am part of Raconteur Theater now. Or, rather will be part of their ensemble soon. And I am stage manager for their first show this season in December/January. I also read scripts for them and evaluate them for production. So, this entails more awesome things than if I had got an internship somewhere else, it pays if I'm working on a show, and could lead to stuff with them in the future. It's just not a very big company yet. But basically, life confuses me.
- Holy shit. I have a lot of Pokemon cards.
- I started running in the park nearby. Only made it through about 4 laps around the park (it's small). And I walked most of the time. I have no stamina. I'm doing this because I want to be healthier, and also because I have awkward stores of fat on my lower back that both disgust and intrigue me.
- I have non-consensual auto insurance. It's a frustrating thing -- but it also allows me to drive. Dammit.
- Griffin, Phil, and I are writing plays every 2-4-ish weeks. Short plays. But anything to keep the juices flowing. I've so far only written about 6 pages, but I like what I have. I think it's going somewhere. Inspired by a James Thurber story.
- The Road is the best book of the last three years.
- It's strange to run into classmates from high school because they're now married to a guy who dresses up in full knight armor and fights with a new friend of mine, also in full armor. Now imagine reuniting and chatting while this is happening in the background. I have skill in meeting strange people.
- I may have failed miserably at my summer reading list, but at least I bought new books! [...] I've found that working my way through a 600 page of contemporary American poetry is tedious, though enlightening. I'm simultaneously working on a book about 50 Theatre directors of our time, and an anthology of Virginia Woolf's short stories. In other words, I'm in lust for an actual novel. And my wandering eyes have left enamored with the following books: Norwegian Wood, The Elephant Vanishes, God of Carnage, The Road, Neuromancer, Brave New World. No more new books, dammit. This needs to be a New Year's resolution of mine. I currently have 125 books in my room that I haven't read. Of course, that also means that I have a more dizzying amount of books that I have read.
- Driving is nice, because now I don't have to ask my dad three days prior, the night before, and the morning of for a ride somewhere 5 minutes away that then takes him 4.5 hours to get ready to drive me to while I sit around aimlessly, reluctant to get involved in anything new.
- Downloaded a lot of Wii games. Finally beat Super Mario RPG and Kirby's Dreamland 3 -- both of which have eluded me since Middle School. Sin and Punishment is next. Then, World of Goo, Samurai Showdown 2, and Mega Man 9. I <3 my Wii. I'd play with it until I went blind [...].
- Now that I drive, I need to actually buy CDs so I'm not limited to my naive high school collection of film soundtracks, Celtic New Age, and Evanesence.
- I really like driving. If you hadn't guessed.
---------------------------------
EXPERIENCED:
Ponyo
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Ultimatum
Sanctuary
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
A lot of poetry
Super Mario RPG
Kirby's Dreamland 3
Sin and Punishment
-------------------------------
THIS WEEK: car?, Raconteur reading, applying for jobs, looking for an apartment(??), Gallery Hop, house party at Max's
Remember when my dream job was an internship in DC with the Shakespeare Theater Company where I would get to direct a show OR an internship with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Oregon where they paid for my classes? Yeah. What happened to that??
In the mean time while I wait for life to start, I'm secluding myself in my room and pretending that I don't live at home. It's fun. In all the ways that it's not. No crazy adventures to report. Because, you know, spending time in your room isn't conducive to -adventure-. The most exciting this week was when Collin, Mark, and I made 'man-cakes' (a manly version of cupcakes) and watched Fast and Furious for our mantastic night. Which was a hoot. But keep in mind that that's the most fun thing I've done in 7 days.
[EDIT: I want this]
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EXPERIENCED:
Dramaturgy and Performance
Through the Looking-Glass - Lewis Carroll
The Evening's at Seven - James Thurber
"Queer" - Sherwood Anderson
A Haunted House - Virginia Woolf
Being Human
Fast and Furious
---------------------------------
THIS WEEK: ...
(really stretching for things to look forward to:) looking at cars, written portion of driver's test, Raconteur reading,
Because, y'know, it's good to see that gender stereotypes are still alive and kicking. This is, of course, a rip-off of another companies already-stereotype-biased game: Cooking Mama. But what really gets me is that cooking and chemistry are virtually the same thing -- especially on a motion-controlled gaming device. Heat, mix, stir, wait, pour, etc. Calculate? I can't see any way these games would be different from each other -- the motions are all going to be the same.
ANYWAY, I'm back home. Hence how I can find 'gems' like Science Papa again. I had one chat/interview that went very well. Now I'll be working with a Columbus-based theater company this year. Don't know what I'll be doing yet, but this is a start. I am hoping to direct for them in the spring. We'll see how that goes.
----------------------------------------
EXPERIENCED:
Sunset Boulevard
Kings
Robert Penn Warren
J.V. Cunningham
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick
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THIS WEEK: driving, car hunt, applying for jobs, teaching myself to NOT sleep in til 11, nerf(?), nothing exciting
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Sidenote: weddings seem to be a theme of my summer.
At the wedding after party, I drank more than I ever have before and was apparently very fun and well-received. I remember it all, but I also recall being more embarrassed. Also, I do remember lying on my back alone in Norton and licking the walls. And pissing all over a tree in the middle of freshmen quad. Oh, and I drunk texted something very blackmail-able and inappropriately to one guy I had hoped to hook up with, then proceeded to drunk text two more people just to tell them what I was doing. This was all thanks to what I like to call "mostly-gin and tonics." I'm sure you can guess the ratio of booze to filler.
Susan, two students, and I went running through a corn field on Friday. Turns out, that when they do that in the movies, the corn is planted insanely far apart. Most fields are actually thick and nigh-impossible to run through unless you're shielding your face the whole time and even then the corn draws blood. Amazing experience, but what the hell.
At Young Writers this session, I am taking the Graphic Novel workshop. I'm learning a lot and making a 2-3 page story. Will be scanned and posted when I get home. For now, enjoy two poems I read last night at my fifth and final Young Writers reading.
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EXPERIENCED:
Elizabeth Bishop
Theodore Roethke
John Berryman
Warehouse 13
Logan's Run
Paris je'Taime
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THIS WEEK: leaving Kenyon for good, hot date, King Kong, theatrical interview, Writer Fight, job hunting, driving, Slamnation
The wackiest adventure this week has undoubtedly been the cookie baking social mixer last night. For some reason, it's always a very popular activity. Anyway, we decided to give bonus points for talents. I love musical children. We were graced with a chant, a guitar cover of an indie song, and an interpretive dance. All were about how great we were as RA's. That's another reason I like this job: free cultists.
The more times I do this program, the more comfortable I get with going into new situations. These two weeks are a very condensed version of, for example, college. People form these strong bonds and the students still talk to each other years later! Even if they don't go to the same schools. So I guess I'm also growing less attached to new people, but I'm more confident. Hoping to find a happy balance between the two soon.
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EXPERIENCED:
Robert Lowell
The Call of Cthulu
The Tempest - William Shakespeare [Schiller Park]
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Columbus Museum of Art
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THIS WEEK: KT, wedding, Jack's visit, making more single-serving friends, Almost Famous, Clueless, bonfire, party, river swimming, applying for jobs...
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prometheushound- Prometheus Hound