The last two rehearsals have been dedicated to blocking the entire show… preliminary blocking anyway.  You just know that it is going to change, particularly when we get our two weeks (of rehearsal) time on the stage.  But even to get that little idea in your head as to what you will be doing on stage is a big help.  It was like the blind leading the blind but when aren’t first blockings like that.  We did get to see “Eve’s” development of her big moment and the rest of us think she is off to a good start!

I am pleased with where I am at this point!  The memorization is coming.  Although, I do find myself running over “Kate’s” lines at times which at times seems appropriate since most of our moments end dramatically.  However, I will focus a bit more on the cue lines.

One of the highlights last night did not involve any blocking or scripts.  In the middle of a scene, we heard the thrilling refrain of John Williams’ “Superman March.”  I should have ignored it and kept the others guessing.  I was as surprised as them because I am usually careful to turn the cell phone off at inopportune times.  I did silence it after I read the text.  I did get HOMEWORK!  I’m to find my recording of the instrumental “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” which is an important part of the show.  It is in my itunes library.  I wonder if there is a way to send it to Beth via email.  I’ll see.

All in all.. a successful rehearsal with less than 4 weeks to go?!

This morning, I was treated to a story by the boss involving a dinner at an area steakhouse (one of my least favorite places).  The couple went to an area Ponderosa and Unfortunately for them, chose the WRONG place to sit.  Sitting at a table near them was a rather large, loud, and unruly bunch.  She even commented that it made a Shaffer gathering seem tame (“Hardy-har-har-har”).  As the dinner progressed, the neighboring party kept throwing biscuits at each other.  Diane’s husband commented that if one happened to hit him he would go to the other table and throw it at the adult(?) at the table along with a few epithets (there’s your .50 word for the day).  Soon after, one of the flying biscuits ricocheted off one of the children and came within inches of hitting Tony… did not hit him.  Seconds later, a three year old got hold of a lemon and threw that.  Not sure how close that got.  I’m not sure why no one complained about the crowd,  I guess it has been a while since I have eaten at a Ponderosa, but see little has changed.

Which brings me to my second tale of  this post.  It seems that my father was shopping in my FPOE.  He was looking for a bottle of shampoo which my mother had run out of in her beauty salon.  Dad, bless him, has a real problem tracking things down.  If he does not know exactly what he is looking for and where it is at… forget it.  He eventually used his cell phone to call and say he could not find it.  Why not ask an associate you ask?  AHHA, HE DID.  Apparently, he picked the wrong associate because they were “TOO BUSY” (direct quote) to assist him.  WHHOOOAAAAHHH… WAIT A MINUTE!!!!  It is a good thing I was not with him because the first thing I would have done is gently tell this associate that he would help me or I would go to another associate to see if they were too busy.  I know your boss and I am sure that he would be willing to help me.  I have been thinking about doing some investigating by going to the store one Wednesday evening to see who was working in the Health and Beauty Department and see if they are too busy.  It could be that the associate was busy, but that is certainly no way to treat ANY customer aside from the fact that they are in there at least once a week and drive 12 miles to get there.  Dad did eventually find the shampoo after Mom described the bottle to him over the phone.  It’s been a while since taylhis’ last WM post…  thought I would contribute.

This is one to be appreciated by spy show enthusiasts everywhere.  Apparently someone in Italy was caught with a gun disguised as a cell phone.  Read on:

A 28 year old man was arrested by the Italian police in a Naples suburb. He was caught with a gun disguised as a phone. The phone gun – complete with a dummy display – holds four .22 bullets. The phone transformed into a gun by sliding the keypad section.The stubby antenna is the barrel, and a touch on a particular key fires a bullet. A gun disguised as a mobile phone, the Cool gun! A police spokesman said: ‘This is the first time such a weapon has been seized and shows the sophistication that the crime syndicates are turning to.

Article with pictures and video can be found at this Likecool.com link.  Well, since the video is hosted at youtube, why don’t I just post it here:

Oh, and happy Thanksgiving!  I think among the important things like my family and Jesus Christ’s free gift to me, I can be thankful this was found half a world from me and not here… 😮

A hotel receptionist near Norwich, England recently received an unwelcome surprise while she was on the job:

Abbie Hawkins, a hotel receptionist, thought her mobile phone was ringing when she felt vibrations coming from her clothes.

But she later discovered the tiny creature tucked away in the padded pocket of her underwear.

As staff and colleagues crowded around, Miss Hawkins, 19, produced the frightened bat, which was the size of her hand.

She said: “Once I realised it was a bat I was shocked, but then I felt quite sorry for it really.

“It looked very snug in there and I thought how mean I was for disturbing it.”

Miss Hawkins said she got dressed at 7.30am and arrived for work at the Holiday Inn Norwich North, near Norwich International Airport without noticing anything unusual.

“When I was driving to work I felt a slight vibration but I thought it was just my mobile phone in my jacket pocket,” she said.

It was not until her lunch break, at midday when she felt a strange movement inside her bra, which had been hanging on her washing line the previous night.

“I plucked up the courage to investigate and I pulled out a little baby bat. I just lost my breath when I saw it and I did not know what it was at first,” she said.

The teenager’s general manager freed the bat in the hotel garden.

“I keep thinking how could I have not known it was there?” Miss Hawkins said. “I will certainly be checking my bras every morning from now on.”

Jaime Eastham, of the Bat Conservation Trust, said they had never heard of a bat being found in a bra before.

But she said the animals roost anywhere that appears dark and safe.

The only thing I can say is that I am happy for her that it did not decide to have a nibble (sorry). And why would she have thought that the vibration from her cell phone would cause her to think that it would cause her to adjust herself.

I’m moving up in the world. I now have semi high speed internet. I have a internet connection through my cell phone company, and it works!!!

For those who don’t know, I live out in the middle of no where. I have no chance of getting cable, DSL, Fiber Optic, and even our local wireless. I could get satellite, but I would need to cut down a few trees, since I live in the woods and have no clear southern skies. I’ve been using a dial-up connection for years. Now have speeds at least 4 times as fast, sometimes more. I think if I get a good external antenna for the receiver, I will approach DSL speeds most of the time. I am just impressed by this.

I’m going to be checking some things out over the next few days, and if all works out, I will be getting rid of my dial-up account, or at least going back to the free 10 hour deal with ads. If I get rid of the dial-up completely, I may get rid of my land phone at the same time. That would more than pay for my high speed connection. Cool stuff, no install fee, the hardware was free with rebates, and I didn’t have to cut any trees.