Wham, Bam...

Thank you Dallas.

Slammed in and out of Dallas this weekend in 48 hours flat. Quickest trip we've ever made to the big D but we made sure to pack it full of activity. The workshop was a good size and we rocked their world with some foreign concepts that should keep them busy until we return in July. The highlight of the whole weekend was my friend Elaine's story about a clown that she used to live next door to in New Orleans who eventually got busted for selling drugs out of his rubber chicken. Awesome.

Jumpy...

All day yesterday I was having mini panic attacks and generally making myself tired. As you know, I'm up to my neck in work, but that wasn't the problem. I was really stressing about improv and flying (not together. Those are two seperate fears). I knew that flying would be alright because I have magic blue pills that make me go to dozyland, but improv anticipation was killing me. It didn't help that when I arrived at the venue, there were about 200 people jammed in there, mostly other improvisers. Man, I have never wanted a show to go as well, ever. I think everyone was feeling that way.

Scott (that coach guy) warmed us up for about twenty minutes before we headed onstage and from then on in, it was all a blur. We attacked the stage with a ton of energy, had a huge amount of fun, did ridiculous shit, and got a standing O at the end of our set. Most of us were soaked through by the time the lights went out. Guess I couldn't have asked for a better outcome than that. Bitchin'!

I hope my flight today goes as well.

Dallas...

Going to the Big D to work this weekend which means I'll be missing everything once again! Bah! It'll be nice to see the Texans though. They're a great bunch of folks who make it hard to believe that the Bush family is from the same state. Of course, most of them would'nt wipe their ass with Crawford.

I don't know...

...what to blog about, but I feel like I should be writing. There, I've done it. Goodnight.

This documentary...

...thing is weird. I've never spent so much time with an interview subject in the past and I'm not sure what to think about it. It definitely colors your perception of the piece and I guess that's one of the main differences between documentary and straight journalism. But I feel like my project coordinator is looking for a mix between the two and that's tough. It's hard to stay objective about the piece now because my subject and I are becoming friends and I don't want to make something that I feel he wouldn't approve of. I'm sure, left to my own devices, I would make something good that he would think did him justice. I just don't know if my editor is going to feel that way or not. It's a rock and hard place kind of deal. Weird. I don't like that feeling. I guess I'm going to have to fight a bit for this one.

waugh...

That's the sound of my brain snapping.

Lots happening. Had a good time in Philly, although it was kind of an "in and out" experience. We got to go to dinner with Oscar Brown Jr. though, so that was cool. He's a fun guy with great stories. Told us all about the sixties when he was playing the Blackhawk in San Francisco and dropping acid with John Hendricks everyday. Rad. The organizers put us up at the Sheraton which was real nice. Got to play some uke with our friend Marilee, which is always fun. The workshop was o.k. We had a nice crowd and got paid full freight (which we desperately needed) so we were happy. The drive back was rainy and crappy. I slept a lot and Sharon, bless her, did most of the driving.

Now, back in Cakalac, I'm just trying to get shit done. The demons keep talking to me though and it's tough not to be distracted by them. My deadlines for 2 documentary projects are fast approaching and I haven't even done paper edits on them yet. Grr. So, dear blog, good night.

Show me your bell crack...

That's right. We're back on the road again this weekend. Philly this time. Haven't been there to teach in a couple years and I always love going. I spent a good deal of what little free time I had in graduate school hanging out in the city of brotherly love. It has that down trodden yet proud atmosphere that I find so alluring in a city. Plus, it smells like grilled onions. Bonus! More from the road...

This cold...

...is unbelievably tenacious. After a heavy week of improv and documentary work, I fell, or refell, victim to this horrible little bug AGAIN! Shivers, fever, sweats and 18 other annoying symptoms later, I now feel half human. And a good thing too since I taught my first class at Duke last night. I was nervous since it was my first time teaching this subject and at a major university to boot. But, teaching is teaching and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

It reminded me of why I got in to teaching in the first place. I'm good at it. If I can understand something, I have the ability to break it down so that most other folks can understand it too. I forget that it's a skill sometimes and undervalue my adeptness at it. Note to self: teach more.

Our newest charge...

Sharon finally got some decent shots of our newest foster dog. So, everyone, this is Paddy.

Surely...

...the fact that the Red Sox and the Patriots both won is some kind of harbinger of doom. If the Celtics win the NBA, I'll be in my basement, hoarding water.

Terrible...

...show on Tuesday. Best show ever on Wednesday. The rollercoaster rolls on.

In other news... Jed is still without a permanent home. When we went to visit the lady I was so sure about, all hell broke loose. Her (female) dog tried to hump Jed for the first twenty minutes and then proceeded to initiate high speed attack passes from across the yard. Jed ended up scaling a five foot fence just to get away from this dog. Poor kid. He slept with his head in my lap all the way home. Ah well, this weekend we'll try again.

Sometimes...

...I don't know if I can handle one more super high followed by a super low. Can I just have a medium?