I began writing here one year ago today convinced for a myriad of reasons that "this [was] going to be my year."
I was right in all the ways I predicted, and in many that I did not.
I wanted to take this opportunity to get a little bit emotional. I am probably already one of the most emotional people you know. And .... I'm finally alright with that. (Mostly). I had a pretty emotionally charged weekend, and I don't want to get into details, I just want to cut to the chase.
I like to think everyone knows how I feel about them because I'd also like to think of myself as a pretty open book. I know firsthand, as many of you do, that some goodbyes come far too soon, far too fast and without fair warning. That knowledge has made me occasionally sappy to the point of irritating. But even I have things I haven't said when I should say them.
It seems like whenever someone we love leaves us for good, we are quickly moved to spell out our I-love-you-s to the people we have left. Because we know in those moments that time is precious, and life is short. But still, time slips away leaving us with a lot of things unspoken.
Today I'm celebrating my birthday which to me really means celebrating all the relationships that have made up my life as I know it. So here goes.
Mom, your love literally created me. I didn't know it was possible to get even closer to you, but somehow this year we did. Brian, we competed for many years but now we finally stand as equals, ready at each other's call for for help, or just to share a laugh or two. It's exactly how Dad would have wanted to see us turn out.
To all of my family and friends: I am who I am in part because of each of you and the mystery of that is something I can never wrap my mind around all the way. Growing up is so weird. I think of all of you and I say "this is my life, these are the people I keep" and I am so profoundly happy. I visualize axons in a nerve bundle. I could not untangle myself from you if I tried, and I wouldn't want to because it would hurt and things would stop working.
But it doesn't end there. Take this very seriously. My castmates and various directors. My patients, all of them. My students at Thacher. My coworkers and bosses. The friends of friends I've shared moments with at parties. Strangers on the buses and trains and planes that brought me here. Cab drivers with and without advice/cigars/cell phones/bad jokes. Bartenders. Everyone's new babies. The old man who sells ramen on that street corner in Tokyo. Your cat. Every person I met while apartment hunting. The guys I've gone on dates with. The guys I did not go out on dates with. People who have made me laugh. Or made me cry. That waitress that night. The authors of the blogs I follow. The reporters in Iran. Drunk people on the street. My new mechanic, Nick. People I met once, people I will never see again. The people who come and go every single day.
It's all connected. And we're all connected. And for the whole big picture I believe I have God to thank above all. Because God reveals Himself as Love. God is love, and I perceive that love constantly reflected by the people who surround me. And that's where I find my most honest, deepest, happiness.
... So when you have a blog you're allowed to pretty much say anything you want, huh?
This was NOT the year I reinvented myself as cool and aloof, that's for sure.
I started the blog to see where it would end up. I liked keeping it, and I think I'll keep keeping it. I will, however, be splitting off the entries about nursing and particularly homelessness into a blog of their own for professional purposes before this winter. It's something I've wanted for a while.
So I also want to take a separate minute to thank everyone who reads this. Whether you're a friend, or a curious enemy, or a stranger who accidentally found it while Google-ing "homeless" or "improv." Thanks for reading it, because without you the words are pretty meaningless.
I am looking forward to this next year. I have a few new goals. I feel less sure of how much I want some of my former goals. I don't have all the answers, but I have enough questions to keep myself and hopefully most of you sufficiently entertained for another 365 days.
This is going to be my year. And it's going to be your year too.
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Ten True Stories About Brian Whitaker
In the style of this and this, I now bring you Ten True Stories about Brian Whitaker. Happy Birthday, Brian!
1. The day Brian was born I was supposed to go see Snow White with my mother's friend Michele. Instead, my parents woke me up to tell me that my new brother was coming today, and wasn't that even more exciting! The answer is yes, but I am still hazy on why I couldn't go to the movies. It's not like I helped deliver him...
2. My little brother immediately became a captive audience for me. According to my mother all she had to do was sit him down in front of me and I would sing songs, tell stories, read books and act out plays for hours on end while she got things done around the house. And he loved it.
2b. Once Brian could walk and talk he traded in his audience role for one of an actor. I "directed" him in several two-man shows. Our family STILL talks about how we memorized the Scarecrow and Dorothy scene and how we'd perform it at every family gathering. However, he grew up to be very, very stage- shy.
3. Brian was born to skate. He played other sports too, baseball and soccer - but hockey was his real calling. The first time Dad took him to the rink near our house Brian just took off on the skates - no milk crates, no hobbling around and falling over. He was 6 years old.
4. When we were growing up we had a Christmas tradition where Brian would sleep on the floor of my room on Christmas Eve. We'd stay up all night talking and laughing. I have no idea what we talked about, but those are still some of my favorite memories.
5. When we were moving from Eagle Street, where we grew up, tension levels were high. Fights were a plenty. It came up one day that no one had taken the door knocker off and Mom said she didn't care. We knew she did though. It had our name on it. Brian and I didn't even talk about it, we just both showed up at the front door with tools and silently removed it.
6. He once needed stitches because he hit himself in the head with a baseball bat trying to swing at a basketball.
7. Brian figured out sometime between high school and Job Corps that he loves cooking and that he is fantastic at it. He now works as a chef at a nursing home in Dedham, which lets him give back to the community. But one of his real passions is cooking food for his loved ones. Sometimes after work Brian brings me pies or stuffed cabbage. And when his kitchen is throwing away bread he always saves me some.
8. Although Brian is a real tough as nails kind of guy he secretly knows all the words to several songs from RENT.
8a. Also, he doesn't read my blog.
9. When we were teenagers one of our favorite pass times together was ghost hunting. Then one night when I was in college Brian called me because he actually saw one of the ghosts we'd been hunting down for years, the local legend ghost of Hammer Road. He wanted to know if there were any prayers he could say to make sure the ghost didn't come home with him.
9a. This is the most spiritual advice my now- agnostic brother has asked me for since I was his Confirmation sponsor at church.
10. I called Brian one night in college because I had come home to see a concert and then was stranded downtown after the trains stopped running with no cash for a cab and no ATM in the blocks that I walked. I had no idea where I was but he figured it out and got me. This has happened more than once.
BONUS: My brother was recently questioned by police in the context of the theft of 400 cartons of cigarettes in Dover. The reason? He had posted on his facebook page that he had some cheap cigarettes for sale. To prove his innocence he had to reveal the deal he had recently struck up with an elderly man at a nursing home who orders cigarettes online from out of state to avoid taxes. No word yet on whether the old man is getting in trouble.
1. The day Brian was born I was supposed to go see Snow White with my mother's friend Michele. Instead, my parents woke me up to tell me that my new brother was coming today, and wasn't that even more exciting! The answer is yes, but I am still hazy on why I couldn't go to the movies. It's not like I helped deliver him...
2. My little brother immediately became a captive audience for me. According to my mother all she had to do was sit him down in front of me and I would sing songs, tell stories, read books and act out plays for hours on end while she got things done around the house. And he loved it.
2b. Once Brian could walk and talk he traded in his audience role for one of an actor. I "directed" him in several two-man shows. Our family STILL talks about how we memorized the Scarecrow and Dorothy scene and how we'd perform it at every family gathering. However, he grew up to be very, very stage- shy.
3. Brian was born to skate. He played other sports too, baseball and soccer - but hockey was his real calling. The first time Dad took him to the rink near our house Brian just took off on the skates - no milk crates, no hobbling around and falling over. He was 6 years old.
4. When we were growing up we had a Christmas tradition where Brian would sleep on the floor of my room on Christmas Eve. We'd stay up all night talking and laughing. I have no idea what we talked about, but those are still some of my favorite memories.
5. When we were moving from Eagle Street, where we grew up, tension levels were high. Fights were a plenty. It came up one day that no one had taken the door knocker off and Mom said she didn't care. We knew she did though. It had our name on it. Brian and I didn't even talk about it, we just both showed up at the front door with tools and silently removed it.
6. He once needed stitches because he hit himself in the head with a baseball bat trying to swing at a basketball.
7. Brian figured out sometime between high school and Job Corps that he loves cooking and that he is fantastic at it. He now works as a chef at a nursing home in Dedham, which lets him give back to the community. But one of his real passions is cooking food for his loved ones. Sometimes after work Brian brings me pies or stuffed cabbage. And when his kitchen is throwing away bread he always saves me some.
8. Although Brian is a real tough as nails kind of guy he secretly knows all the words to several songs from RENT.
8a. Also, he doesn't read my blog.
9. When we were teenagers one of our favorite pass times together was ghost hunting. Then one night when I was in college Brian called me because he actually saw one of the ghosts we'd been hunting down for years, the local legend ghost of Hammer Road. He wanted to know if there were any prayers he could say to make sure the ghost didn't come home with him.
9a. This is the most spiritual advice my now- agnostic brother has asked me for since I was his Confirmation sponsor at church.
10. I called Brian one night in college because I had come home to see a concert and then was stranded downtown after the trains stopped running with no cash for a cab and no ATM in the blocks that I walked. I had no idea where I was but he figured it out and got me. This has happened more than once.
BONUS: My brother was recently questioned by police in the context of the theft of 400 cartons of cigarettes in Dover. The reason? He had posted on his facebook page that he had some cheap cigarettes for sale. To prove his innocence he had to reveal the deal he had recently struck up with an elderly man at a nursing home who orders cigarettes online from out of state to avoid taxes. No word yet on whether the old man is getting in trouble.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Ten True Stories About Laura Clark
I like this game. Happy Birthday, Laura!
1. Laura lived in Chicago. Chicago, which she reminds me on a weekly basis, is a better place than Boston because of its bike lanes, grid system streets, and lack of hills.
1a. Laura rides a bicycle.
2. As part of riding a bicycle Laura used to deliver sandwiches for Potbelly's in Chicago. Bike couriers are some of the most bad ass people I know. Laura is no exception. She even has a tattoo.
2a. It's the logo from Umass Amherst's sketch group, Sketch 22.
3. Once, when we were both living in Amherst Laura and I had dinner together and then tried to go to Bart's for ice cream. We met a man who claimed that he was the inspiration for the movie The Matrix. He carried around a photocopied resume in tiny tiny font of all the movies he had supposedly written or been a part of including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and ChaRly. He told us he could tell the future. He had a large wooden stick with him and also "special" water that could enlighten/purify anyone who drank it. Of course, Laura and I drank the water. Then we spent the better part of the evening babysitting each other in case something happened. Nothing did. But that is the kind of person Laura is. She drinks the water.
4. Laura also has synesthesia. We've agreed that "5" is the meanest number.
5. Laura writes for and performs in The Dowry which is a four person sketch troupe she co founded with her man Paul Barner. The two of them started off just by writing sketches together for a class, and now a year later, The Dowry (different link this time) has became a house team at Improv Boston!
6. I can credit Laura with introducing many new things into my life that I embraced fully, including but not limited to: quinoa, The Decemberists, Girl Talk, Imogen Heap, The Wire, avocado, guacamole (I didn't eat guacamole until Laura's guacamole dip and still prefer it to anyone else's), and singing in hawkit (sp?).
6.a Blood oranges did not catch on for me. Laura loves the concept of blood oranges enough that she almost once bought really expensive soda just because it was blood orange soda.
7. Laura's mom once showed me an old home video and one of the best parts of the video was 5 or 6 year old Laura demanding that the camera be turned back to her so she could do interesting things like sing a song and dance. If I had the video I'd post it here.
8. For my birthday this past year Laura prepared a pancake breakfast for the two of us. She had to get up at the crack of dawn to do it since I leave for work at about 6am. She was up before I was and greeted me smiling and singing. As I recall, they were the best pancakes ever. That is also the kind of person Laura is. She makes the pancakes.
9. One night Laura and I "broke into" Plymouth Rock when it was under construction, and we had to climb a big stone wall to do it, and we did it anyway and we still didn't get to see the stupid rock because it was crated and and the crate was nailed shut and we didn't bring a crowbar, not having expected any obstacles between us and our first hand witness of our nation's most famous boulder.
9a. Laura and I don't plan well.
9b. Laura is my only friend who says, "OK" and gets her flip flops on when I say "let's drive to a beach right now."
10. Laura has an amazing voice. She doesn't sing for other people often, and sometimes when she does she acts goofy about it, but if you ever get to hear Laura really, really sing, (especially "Ave Maria" ) you will weep the tears of happy angels.
9a. She joined a choir here for a little while which was wonderful, but she left after their Christmas concert that year because comedy and sketch writing are the things she would rather spend time on. Girl has pipes and goals.
Bonus:
11. Laura used to scream while driving over bridges. I can not remember why. But that was basically my introduction to Laura. I drove to Worcester with her, Liz and Zach for a show at WPI. Up until then I only knew her as "Laura the funny girl from the sketch troupe who wrote the squirrel sketch I liked so much." As we went over the Connecticut River we all screamed at the top of our lungs the entire time to make it more comfortable for Laura. Sometimes now I wake her up from naps the same way.
Yay! Happy Birthday, Laura!
1. Laura lived in Chicago. Chicago, which she reminds me on a weekly basis, is a better place than Boston because of its bike lanes, grid system streets, and lack of hills.
1a. Laura rides a bicycle.
2. As part of riding a bicycle Laura used to deliver sandwiches for Potbelly's in Chicago. Bike couriers are some of the most bad ass people I know. Laura is no exception. She even has a tattoo.
2a. It's the logo from Umass Amherst's sketch group, Sketch 22.
3. Once, when we were both living in Amherst Laura and I had dinner together and then tried to go to Bart's for ice cream. We met a man who claimed that he was the inspiration for the movie The Matrix. He carried around a photocopied resume in tiny tiny font of all the movies he had supposedly written or been a part of including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and ChaRly. He told us he could tell the future. He had a large wooden stick with him and also "special" water that could enlighten/purify anyone who drank it. Of course, Laura and I drank the water. Then we spent the better part of the evening babysitting each other in case something happened. Nothing did. But that is the kind of person Laura is. She drinks the water.
4. Laura also has synesthesia. We've agreed that "5" is the meanest number.
5. Laura writes for and performs in The Dowry which is a four person sketch troupe she co founded with her man Paul Barner. The two of them started off just by writing sketches together for a class, and now a year later, The Dowry (different link this time) has became a house team at Improv Boston!
6. I can credit Laura with introducing many new things into my life that I embraced fully, including but not limited to: quinoa, The Decemberists, Girl Talk, Imogen Heap, The Wire, avocado, guacamole (I didn't eat guacamole until Laura's guacamole dip and still prefer it to anyone else's), and singing in hawkit (sp?).
6.a Blood oranges did not catch on for me. Laura loves the concept of blood oranges enough that she almost once bought really expensive soda just because it was blood orange soda.
7. Laura's mom once showed me an old home video and one of the best parts of the video was 5 or 6 year old Laura demanding that the camera be turned back to her so she could do interesting things like sing a song and dance. If I had the video I'd post it here.
8. For my birthday this past year Laura prepared a pancake breakfast for the two of us. She had to get up at the crack of dawn to do it since I leave for work at about 6am. She was up before I was and greeted me smiling and singing. As I recall, they were the best pancakes ever. That is also the kind of person Laura is. She makes the pancakes.
9. One night Laura and I "broke into" Plymouth Rock when it was under construction, and we had to climb a big stone wall to do it, and we did it anyway and we still didn't get to see the stupid rock because it was crated and and the crate was nailed shut and we didn't bring a crowbar, not having expected any obstacles between us and our first hand witness of our nation's most famous boulder.
9a. Laura and I don't plan well.
9b. Laura is my only friend who says, "OK" and gets her flip flops on when I say "let's drive to a beach right now."
10. Laura has an amazing voice. She doesn't sing for other people often, and sometimes when she does she acts goofy about it, but if you ever get to hear Laura really, really sing, (especially "Ave Maria" ) you will weep the tears of happy angels.
9a. She joined a choir here for a little while which was wonderful, but she left after their Christmas concert that year because comedy and sketch writing are the things she would rather spend time on. Girl has pipes and goals.
Bonus:
11. Laura used to scream while driving over bridges. I can not remember why. But that was basically my introduction to Laura. I drove to Worcester with her, Liz and Zach for a show at WPI. Up until then I only knew her as "Laura the funny girl from the sketch troupe who wrote the squirrel sketch I liked so much." As we went over the Connecticut River we all screamed at the top of our lungs the entire time to make it more comfortable for Laura. Sometimes now I wake her up from naps the same way.
Yay! Happy Birthday, Laura!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Ten True Stories About Johnny Blazes
Laura did this for her brother when he turned 21,
and I liked the idea enough to steal it for today, the 25th Anniversary of the birth of my dear friend and our third roommate, Johnny Blazes!
Happy Birthday, Johnny!
1. Johnny taught me to dumpster dive. Ze and I rescued about three huge bags full of donuts and bagels from the dumpster behind Dunkin Donuts in J.P center. We brought them to Boston Latin and set them up on the sidewalk as breakfast for students the next morning. Our (former) headmaster came outside and told us we needed a vendor's permit, but we told her it was our "alumni donation" to the school and she gave up.
2. Johnny was the first "freegan," I ever knew. Hir boyfriend David was the second.
3. In between high school and college Johnny and our friend Meghan went to Nicaragua to help build a library. They learned Spanish and raised all the money themselves.
4. For fun and money, Johnny and I co-starred in an educational video series that was used to teach English to children in Spanish speaking countries. One day ze left hir microphone on backstage and the sound guy overheard us talking about a new and very private piercing Johnny had just gotten. He brought it up later and it was extremely awkward for all of us.
4. Johnny founded and directed OCircus! at Oberlin College.
5. Johnny Blazes is well known in Boston's burlesque scene as well as the drag scene. I have always known ze was talented but every time I watch hir on stage I am amazed all over again. Ze is truly one of the most talented people I know.
6. One Christmas Johnny wrote a song for me. Ze produced it with hir father and two of our friends. It's called "Me and Judy Garland," and whenever I listen to it I am still floored by how amazing it is and how much love went into it.
7. Johnny and my boyfriend Tim brought me home after my father's funeral. They were not weirded out when I requested they just stay even though I told them I probably wouldn't talk. They just stayed. They were not surprised when I fell asleep. They did not leave even then. Johnny baked cookies and told me ze would be there whenever I was ready to talk. Years later when I was finally ready to talk about it, and thought I had no one to listen, ze was still ready.
8. Johnny is not only a performer but also is a certified massage therapist, a yoga instructor and a substitute teacher. Ze charges $40 an hour for a massage, so call now!
9. Johnny was the first person I ever wrote video sketch show with. We were 15 and both dating actors named Adam. The show lineup involved a monkey in a diaper, a cooking show about toast and a segment where we ran around in public in our underwear. We never produced it, but I still have the script somewhere.
10. Johnny played Puck back at Riverside Theater in Boston in 1999 and it was the best portrayal I have ever seen. My Dad saw it and could NOT stop talking about it, and how much he wanted Johnny to perform as Peter Pan on Broadway. I still believe that I live with Peter Pan.
BONUS: When Johnny was touring with OCircus! I missed their Boston show because I was debuting with N.X.T at Improv Asylum that night. We hadn't spoken in months. When we called to fill each other in on our successes we found out we were both looking for a roommate and we ended our search that very night.
and I liked the idea enough to steal it for today, the 25th Anniversary of the birth of my dear friend and our third roommate, Johnny Blazes!
Happy Birthday, Johnny!
1. Johnny taught me to dumpster dive. Ze and I rescued about three huge bags full of donuts and bagels from the dumpster behind Dunkin Donuts in J.P center. We brought them to Boston Latin and set them up on the sidewalk as breakfast for students the next morning. Our (former) headmaster came outside and told us we needed a vendor's permit, but we told her it was our "alumni donation" to the school and she gave up.
2. Johnny was the first "freegan," I ever knew. Hir boyfriend David was the second.
3. In between high school and college Johnny and our friend Meghan went to Nicaragua to help build a library. They learned Spanish and raised all the money themselves.
4. For fun and money, Johnny and I co-starred in an educational video series that was used to teach English to children in Spanish speaking countries. One day ze left hir microphone on backstage and the sound guy overheard us talking about a new and very private piercing Johnny had just gotten. He brought it up later and it was extremely awkward for all of us.
4. Johnny founded and directed OCircus! at Oberlin College.
5. Johnny Blazes is well known in Boston's burlesque scene as well as the drag scene. I have always known ze was talented but every time I watch hir on stage I am amazed all over again. Ze is truly one of the most talented people I know.
6. One Christmas Johnny wrote a song for me. Ze produced it with hir father and two of our friends. It's called "Me and Judy Garland," and whenever I listen to it I am still floored by how amazing it is and how much love went into it.
7. Johnny and my boyfriend Tim brought me home after my father's funeral. They were not weirded out when I requested they just stay even though I told them I probably wouldn't talk. They just stayed. They were not surprised when I fell asleep. They did not leave even then. Johnny baked cookies and told me ze would be there whenever I was ready to talk. Years later when I was finally ready to talk about it, and thought I had no one to listen, ze was still ready.
8. Johnny is not only a performer but also is a certified massage therapist, a yoga instructor and a substitute teacher. Ze charges $40 an hour for a massage, so call now!
9. Johnny was the first person I ever wrote video sketch show with. We were 15 and both dating actors named Adam. The show lineup involved a monkey in a diaper, a cooking show about toast and a segment where we ran around in public in our underwear. We never produced it, but I still have the script somewhere.
10. Johnny played Puck back at Riverside Theater in Boston in 1999 and it was the best portrayal I have ever seen. My Dad saw it and could NOT stop talking about it, and how much he wanted Johnny to perform as Peter Pan on Broadway. I still believe that I live with Peter Pan.
BONUS: When Johnny was touring with OCircus! I missed their Boston show because I was debuting with N.X.T at Improv Asylum that night. We hadn't spoken in months. When we called to fill each other in on our successes we found out we were both looking for a roommate and we ended our search that very night.
Monday, October 13, 2008
This Weekend
This weekend was amazing. I celebrated my birthday in two parts. Saturday night I had a small group of friends over to carve pumpkins. I made mulled apple cider and butter beer and Shannon made a cake that looked like a pumpkin (pictures to follow) and James brought his guitar.
It wasn't huge, I didn't invite everyone I know. I only invited a cozy amount of people, enough to fill my kitchen. When I imagined how I wanted to celebrate it was the only thing I wanted. I've had enough loud drunken parties in my past and surely have a few more in my future.
As a result of the pumpkin carving festivities I have a ton of guts and seeds and so I have been spending this afternoon baking pumpkins.
Then... Sunday night after Gorefest rehearsal I met Laura, Scott, Rachel and Marcy and we all took a drive to Litchfield New Hampshire to go to NIGHTMARE NEW ENGLAND.
I can not overstate how much I enjoy haunted houses and scary hayrides. I mean, probably way more than a good Catholic girl should. Over the years I have been to many different scary adventure parks. Scott has too, and many of them we've done together since he is my go-to guy for this type of thing. Last year we did the U.S.S Salem . So we're kind of like... connoisseurs of shock-entertainment. The first thing we noticed was that the costumes of the people entertaining guests while we stood in line were extremely elaborate. Like, there was one character on stilts with cyborg components but a face like TreeBeard. Except, where he did look like TreeBeard he also had metal mandibles. And a futuristic eye patch, headpiece that lit up in places, reflecting on his bark. WHAT? Every character seemed to have a story behind his or her attire. Like the woman wearing a wedding dress, a gas mask, and carrying a black balloon. Also, a ton of awesome mask and stilt work combined with some puppetry stuff too.. so it wasn't all jsut teenage hacks looking for summer work.
The four main attractions with general admission are, in order:
BURIED ALIVE
A haunted house built into a barn meant to make you feel like you were trapped underground. We experienced some extreme claustrophobia. The ceiling got very low and you could hear people nailing nails as you were "buried." Actors *did* do the jumping out at you thing, but it was very well done, not over played and the costumes were amazing. One of the guys was dressed in leaves and completely blended in with this wall of leaves. Scott screamed "Legends of the Hidden Temple" and the guy yelled "Hidden Temple!" back at him like a parrot. We got squished in this hallway made from the stuff a bouncy house is made of that went on FOREVER. And it was tight. Really tight. That was scary. I'm ok in tight situations, but if Scott hadn't been holding my hand I might have lost it. It was hard to breathe, it was pitch black and the hall was only as large as your body mass made way for.
RAVENCLAW
An open air cemetery/maze where we got chased around by zombies, a few of which resembled my ex boyfriends. One of them said "I AM your ex boyfriend," when I voiced this to Scott, which made us laugh and also made me very very nervous about who they are hiring at this place. Scariest part? not knowing which way to turn for exits, wooden shacks that nearly collapsed on us, and having to physically touch this hanging torso that was in the way of an exit that looked EXACTLY like the Harold the scarecrow from the "Scary Story" books.
3D Freak Show
This was in a tent, and we all had to wear 3-D glasses. The theme was "deranged circus," there were side show acts and of course clowns a plenty. It was more disorienting than scary. The whole thing was lit with black lights, and the glasses made some of the colors jump more than others. Some of the actors wore costumes and body paint so that they blended in perfectly with the walls which were crazily patterned. They never jumped out, they snuck around creepily, which gave the illusion that the walls were moving. It was the trippiest thing I have ever experienced to date. We walked through a room hung with rubber chickens with a woman screaming at us to NOT TOUCH THE CHICKENS which made me laugh way too much, and I had to apologize to a clown because I think I made the clown laugh too. The end is a large rotating hall that, with the glasses makes you feel so... sick and high. It was not scary so much as the most high you can get without drugs ever. We all rambled down the torch lit path a little bit dizzy until we met a GIANT clown with a face like a puppet and a body like a huge turkey. The clown was blind, the actor had two helpers guiding him. But it was late, and they were more fun than scary and the actor kept making the clown/puppet sing Stevie Wonder songs.
The final event is called SLEEP STALKERS
It takes place in a Mental Institution circa 1968. (My own estimate). I tried not to say anything when we were inside, but before we went in I voiced how mental illness is actually more sad to me than scary. Afterwards, Laura said, "Michelle you ruined Sleep Stalkers for me with your moral outrage."
True to prediction, this was the least scary event. Although, Scott pointed out, it's also the last one on the list so everyone's already been jumped at a lot all night, so guests probably aren't as fun. And the actors must be exhausted because it was like.. 12:30am.
Points for detail work. The details were amazing. The lobby smelled like a nursing home. And the patient rooms smelled stuffy. And the ice box smelled moldy. Patient rooms had details like patient belongings, books and headbands. There was a toilet overflowing with shit. We had to walk through the ice box and the cow carcasses that hung in the way ( a la Harold in the graveyard) were the worst part for me. I didn't want to touch them even though I knew they were fake. One was just weird enough to make you think it might be human instead of bovine. I gagged the whole way through.
The "patients" were typical. A man laughing at static on tv. Which... to be honest isn't scary to me, it's just sad. I wanted to pat him on the shoulder and give him some ice chips. Another girl screamed "They're everywhere I tell you!" It was the "I tell you" that made me want to laugh. Despite my moral "outrage" over the exploitation of our society's fear of mental illness I kept thinking ,"if only these actors had more idea of what can actually be scary about mental illness this would be a highly effective attraction. " But as it was it reminded me of the U.S.S Salem. The location was unbelievable, but sadly wasted on contrived acting and over done situations.
All in all however, the entire 's worth of adventures were satisfyingly creepy and scary. There was real fear (like being stuck in Buried Alive), fun fear when actors jumped and screamed, and moments of downright bizarre quality like the chicken lady. Worth it.
It wasn't huge, I didn't invite everyone I know. I only invited a cozy amount of people, enough to fill my kitchen. When I imagined how I wanted to celebrate it was the only thing I wanted. I've had enough loud drunken parties in my past and surely have a few more in my future.
As a result of the pumpkin carving festivities I have a ton of guts and seeds and so I have been spending this afternoon baking pumpkins.
Then... Sunday night after Gorefest rehearsal I met Laura, Scott, Rachel and Marcy and we all took a drive to Litchfield New Hampshire to go to NIGHTMARE NEW ENGLAND.
I can not overstate how much I enjoy haunted houses and scary hayrides. I mean, probably way more than a good Catholic girl should. Over the years I have been to many different scary adventure parks. Scott has too, and many of them we've done together since he is my go-to guy for this type of thing. Last year we did the U.S.S Salem . So we're kind of like... connoisseurs of shock-entertainment. The first thing we noticed was that the costumes of the people entertaining guests while we stood in line were extremely elaborate. Like, there was one character on stilts with cyborg components but a face like TreeBeard. Except, where he did look like TreeBeard he also had metal mandibles. And a futuristic eye patch, headpiece that lit up in places, reflecting on his bark. WHAT? Every character seemed to have a story behind his or her attire. Like the woman wearing a wedding dress, a gas mask, and carrying a black balloon. Also, a ton of awesome mask and stilt work combined with some puppetry stuff too.. so it wasn't all jsut teenage hacks looking for summer work.
The four main attractions with general admission are, in order:
BURIED ALIVE
A haunted house built into a barn meant to make you feel like you were trapped underground. We experienced some extreme claustrophobia. The ceiling got very low and you could hear people nailing nails as you were "buried." Actors *did* do the jumping out at you thing, but it was very well done, not over played and the costumes were amazing. One of the guys was dressed in leaves and completely blended in with this wall of leaves. Scott screamed "Legends of the Hidden Temple" and the guy yelled "Hidden Temple!" back at him like a parrot. We got squished in this hallway made from the stuff a bouncy house is made of that went on FOREVER. And it was tight. Really tight. That was scary. I'm ok in tight situations, but if Scott hadn't been holding my hand I might have lost it. It was hard to breathe, it was pitch black and the hall was only as large as your body mass made way for.
RAVENCLAW
An open air cemetery/maze where we got chased around by zombies, a few of which resembled my ex boyfriends. One of them said "I AM your ex boyfriend," when I voiced this to Scott, which made us laugh and also made me very very nervous about who they are hiring at this place. Scariest part? not knowing which way to turn for exits, wooden shacks that nearly collapsed on us, and having to physically touch this hanging torso that was in the way of an exit that looked EXACTLY like the Harold the scarecrow from the "Scary Story" books.
3D Freak Show
This was in a tent, and we all had to wear 3-D glasses. The theme was "deranged circus," there were side show acts and of course clowns a plenty. It was more disorienting than scary. The whole thing was lit with black lights, and the glasses made some of the colors jump more than others. Some of the actors wore costumes and body paint so that they blended in perfectly with the walls which were crazily patterned. They never jumped out, they snuck around creepily, which gave the illusion that the walls were moving. It was the trippiest thing I have ever experienced to date. We walked through a room hung with rubber chickens with a woman screaming at us to NOT TOUCH THE CHICKENS which made me laugh way too much, and I had to apologize to a clown because I think I made the clown laugh too. The end is a large rotating hall that, with the glasses makes you feel so... sick and high. It was not scary so much as the most high you can get without drugs ever. We all rambled down the torch lit path a little bit dizzy until we met a GIANT clown with a face like a puppet and a body like a huge turkey. The clown was blind, the actor had two helpers guiding him. But it was late, and they were more fun than scary and the actor kept making the clown/puppet sing Stevie Wonder songs.
The final event is called SLEEP STALKERS
It takes place in a Mental Institution circa 1968. (My own estimate). I tried not to say anything when we were inside, but before we went in I voiced how mental illness is actually more sad to me than scary. Afterwards, Laura said, "Michelle you ruined Sleep Stalkers for me with your moral outrage."
True to prediction, this was the least scary event. Although, Scott pointed out, it's also the last one on the list so everyone's already been jumped at a lot all night, so guests probably aren't as fun. And the actors must be exhausted because it was like.. 12:30am.
Points for detail work. The details were amazing. The lobby smelled like a nursing home. And the patient rooms smelled stuffy. And the ice box smelled moldy. Patient rooms had details like patient belongings, books and headbands. There was a toilet overflowing with shit. We had to walk through the ice box and the cow carcasses that hung in the way ( a la Harold in the graveyard) were the worst part for me. I didn't want to touch them even though I knew they were fake. One was just weird enough to make you think it might be human instead of bovine. I gagged the whole way through.
The "patients" were typical. A man laughing at static on tv. Which... to be honest isn't scary to me, it's just sad. I wanted to pat him on the shoulder and give him some ice chips. Another girl screamed "They're everywhere I tell you!" It was the "I tell you" that made me want to laugh. Despite my moral "outrage" over the exploitation of our society's fear of mental illness I kept thinking ,"if only these actors had more idea of what can actually be scary about mental illness this would be a highly effective attraction. " But as it was it reminded me of the U.S.S Salem. The location was unbelievable, but sadly wasted on contrived acting and over done situations.
All in all however, the entire 's worth of adventures were satisfyingly creepy and scary. There was real fear (like being stuck in Buried Alive), fun fear when actors jumped and screamed, and moments of downright bizarre quality like the chicken lady. Worth it.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Quarter of a Century
Today I am 25 years old. That is to say, I am a quarter of a century on this earth. I am beginning my 26th year of life. I am a year older (wiser?) than I was when I turned 24. I am finally old enough to rent a car.
To celebrate my birthday my supervisor let me out of work early today. I met up with Quinn and we went to Toro, which is a tapas place not far from BMC. Our waitress spoke mainly Spanish, and so Quinn did all the talking, although I could understand enough to pick out him telling her it was my birthday. She brought us a cookie at the end of the meal, and held two burning candles in her hands while she, beaming, sang Feliz Cumpleanos.
Then I met my Mom and we went for a walk in Forest Hills Cemetery. I know that seems like a weird thing to do for my birthday but you have to go there and then you will know why it's one of my favorite places to go in Boston. It is also right at the end of my street.
So Mom and I have been trying to find e.e. cumming's grave armed with only a crappy map for a few months. We set out determined rain or shine to find it and after an hour and a half we did exactly that. The grave is hard to locate because it is amongst a different family plot, the stone is flush with the ground, and the name is written out "Edwin Estlin Cummings." It is set on a bit of an incline, and we looked around for a landmark so I could easily return. Then, straight across from us, and down the hill I saw my favorite tree in the cemetery.
It's my favorite tree because it's hollowed out and the inside has been bronzed and inscribed with this e.e. cumming's poem:
To celebrate my birthday my supervisor let me out of work early today. I met up with Quinn and we went to Toro, which is a tapas place not far from BMC. Our waitress spoke mainly Spanish, and so Quinn did all the talking, although I could understand enough to pick out him telling her it was my birthday. She brought us a cookie at the end of the meal, and held two burning candles in her hands while she, beaming, sang Feliz Cumpleanos.
Then I met my Mom and we went for a walk in Forest Hills Cemetery. I know that seems like a weird thing to do for my birthday but you have to go there and then you will know why it's one of my favorite places to go in Boston. It is also right at the end of my street.
So Mom and I have been trying to find e.e. cumming's grave armed with only a crappy map for a few months. We set out determined rain or shine to find it and after an hour and a half we did exactly that. The grave is hard to locate because it is amongst a different family plot, the stone is flush with the ground, and the name is written out "Edwin Estlin Cummings." It is set on a bit of an incline, and we looked around for a landmark so I could easily return. Then, straight across from us, and down the hill I saw my favorite tree in the cemetery.
It's my favorite tree because it's hollowed out and the inside has been bronzed and inscribed with this e.e. cumming's poem:
i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
I took Mom down to the tree and climbed inside because something caught my eye. Since I had last been inside the tree someone had wrapped a book of cumming's poems in plastic to keep in a nook inside. I opened it and read out loud a bit. Even further back in the nook, which I had never once noticed was a journal and a pen. The journal was full of poems and messages from different visitors to the tree. Mom and I wrote our own message, and the sky opened up and began to pour.
I think this is going to be my year.
I think this is going to be my year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)