Sir ?

Every once in a while , this happens. . . . .. At work in Thursday I saw a man try to walk into the ladies room . Usually , it's some homeless guy calling his homeless girlfriend out because they are late for some important appointment. Last week, I even saw a woman stand at the mens room door , holding the door open , impatiently calling her man out while other men were in there using the urinals. So, I thought I was being helpful when I called out to the older man with plaid polyesther jack and khaki pants that he was going into the wrong rest room. I called out twice, once in an inquiring tone and the second more urgently "Sir? That's the ladies room!". He jerked his head back out the door, looked me right in the eye and yelled "I am a lady !" and continued on with her business.
I was embarrassed and felt bad. I wasn't questioning her sexuality. She was dressed in an ambiguous way. Her hair was gray and cut short. She had asexual silver horn rimmed glasses and she wore no make-up. Hardy Yankee ladies really let themselves go.
Fortunately, I was on my way to lunch, so I didn't have to deal with her exit.

Not Mastering the Technology

Hmmmm, I was hoping to post a blog from my new phone but I still can't figure out how to use the web on the thing. I can see if I have emails waiting in my mailbox , but I can't open them. Ah well, I'm sure I'm going to figure it out.
I am doing stand-up tonight at the All Asia in Central Square and my college friend Tracy is visiting from California and I am going to hook up with some of those friends later at a bar down the street. It's going to be a long night. . . Tracy and I went to Europe after college. We were working on a show and we were all at a bar afterward and one of the guys was telling us about running with the bulls in Spain. That sounded pretty good to us and we made a bar bet to got to Europe , and we did . She stayed much longer than I did. I started having dreams that my house was burning down about 4 weeks in and I decided to come home. Turned out my family was fine, but the Improv group I belonged to was failing apart and there was a bit of a coup going on in my absence. I got back to the states in time to attend an Improv convention in Chicago with 3 of the remaining 4 group members. That's pretty much the short version.
It was the first time I witnessed a coup but it would not be the last coup I would be involved with. Fortunately , my life seems a lot less dramatic than it used to be. I have very little use for drama queens these days.
Don't know where this little blog came from, just stuff I'm thinking about at this moment. Have great day !

Nana Gets a New Phone

Well, I've been looking at this one new phone since before Christmas. I had heard about it last October and I figured, when it was time to upgrade, I would get that phone. I checked it out at the store near one of my jobs. It was $250.00, with a $50.00 rebate. Hmmmmm, okay , I'll think about it.
I called my carrier a couple of times checking on different features. I wanted something that I could check my email from. Frankly, I could have done it from the phone I already had, but I didn't like the keypad . My buddy, Chris Oake, had a nice little phone and the price was only $99.00. He can check his email from movie sets. He can also send stuff from his nifty little gadget. My best friend and her husband got each other Iphones for Xmas this year and my buddy Denise had gotten an Iphone when they were first launched. Yes, she stood in line and waited for the little darlin's to go on sale. She was very happy with her thingy as well. I had a little bit of Iphone envy but I absolutely detest the carrier for the Iphone. I would rather carry tin cans and string with me than have to deal with that company again. But , yes, I wanted what they had. It's not envy just interest. An awareness that things in my life could be a little more convenient . Really, there's nothing worse than being on a movie set for 12 hours and having no access to email. Most of us carry our phones. So. . .. I should get email on my phone.
Today and tomorrow, here in Massachusetts, there is a sales tax free day. Any purcheses besides a car or a boat and no food are tax free today & tomorrah. So today , after working a convention, I went to the store for my phone service carrier (please note that I am not actually saying the name of the carrier because I don't want them to spambot me. .. or whatever kind of monitoring devices big brother employs , I ' d rather not draw any attention to myself). SO, I figured today was the day. The price for the phone came down last week. It was now $99.00. And apparently , because I was re-upping, I got some kind of credit and combined with the $50.00 the final cost of the phone, with the accessories, will end up being about $50.00. I have to fill out a couple of forms, but that's going to be okay for me. The young man who helped was very nice. He showed me how to place a call, get to the internet and take a picture.Then he sent me on my way.
In the parking lot , my first call went to my best friend Margaret and my intention was to send an email from my phone to my friend Denise. I had to wait until I got home to send her that email, but she was the first. I've been reading the instruction manual and I'm having a hard time figuring it out. I can get to Gmail & MSN and I can open my accounts but I can't get the email open. I'll check with the kids at work, I'm sure they can help me get it fired up. It may also be that I'm just too tired from the day to concentrate on the instructions. I've already done way more with this phone in the last couple of hours than I did with other phone over the last couple of years. It was quite convenient to check the interent from my bed. Yes, I have a laptop but this is much cuter and it fits in the palm of my hand. Actually , it fits in my 2 hands.
I can't believe I'm particpating in all this new technology. I remember driving down the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York when it struck me that I was communicating with someone like they used to communicate with those little devices on Star Trek. It was a nifty little phone . At that moment I was in "The Future" they had envisioned. I can't wait until teleportation becomes a reality . Think of all the money we will save on gas !
I changed my momthly minutes and added a data plan. So, it won't cost me too much more a month to get this thing going. It defeats the prupose to put myself in debt for something I want "NOW". I feel pretty good about this. As soon as I get it going, I'm going to feel even happier.

$4.00

Sunday was another deluge of people and rain. Though some of the missing people had found replacements, we still could have used a couple more people. I was late and I don't like to be late. I got there at 5 of and I was still the first one in. And the computer wasn't working. Which actually is good because all the facebook surfers couldn't surf so, it made them appear more present. But it made it difficult to get the business part of the day rolling. Ah well. .
So, I had this Irish family- they were very nice but I really didn't treat them any better than any of the other visitors. I anwered their questions and offered information I knew they would need later. It was a nice typical exchange. What wasn't typical was that the guy tipped me $4.00. No , that's not a lot of money . He didn't need to do that . But it totally changed my mood. It was a little gesture but it really made me feel better about working on another Sunday.
I

A Matter of Perception

I suck.
I suckety-suck.
You hear that sound ?
That's me sucking.
Bad.
Atmospheric sucking emanating from my pitiful existance.
No. . . . I don't really believe that about myself. I possess many admirable qualities. I bathe daily. I pay my bills on time . I laugh at your jokes.
But yesterday, I had an audition for a small film. I did everything that was possible for me to do. I printed and memorized the sides, I printed my resume on the back of my headshot . I selected appropriate clothing for the character. I even went and bought a hair net because I was auditioning for the role of a caferteria worker. I showed up on time. I did everything within my power to prepare ahead of time for this audition- to present myself as professionally as possible.
No, it's not a big block buster but it would be a speaking role in a nice little film with a couple of name stars. Any movie role is a good movie role in my book.
SO , as the woman from the casting company escorted me into the audition room, I find out I'm actually auditioning for the director & producer. Usually, they just videotape you .I usually do pretty good in person. I wish I had known a little sooner than 10 steps from the door.Also, the woman escorting me kept hammering me with " Now remember! No Boston accent . You remember I told you that ? No Boston accent ! And , "Natural"! I know you do stand-up and you've done a lot of improv but they're looking for natural. Don't overact ! Got it ? Okay" and she swings the door open.
Yes. I am a little rattled and I have lost complete control over my thoughts. My soul is leaving my body and I can only hope I remember the lines I've been working on all day. I get a little confused and don't know who's hand to shake first. So, it's kind of three hands shaking at once and then I shake their hands individually. Did I mention I'm wearing a hairnet? I slate my name. They say action and I start the scene. I do the whole scene but it's turns out I have memorized the name "Dan" instead of the characters name "Don". They think it's funny and we have a laugh, usually a good sign.We do it 2 more times. They give me direction. I think I've incorporated their instructions. There's really nothing I can do because I am not in my body and my mind is going a 100 miles an hour and the only way I can calm down is to go to sleep.But you have to be in your body to go to sleep and I am no where near it.
They thank me for coming in. I have no idea what the casting lady thinks of me.I have no idea how I did and I have no idea how I lost control of what I thought was going on . I think I looked calm enough. I hope the laugh caused by my flub gets me a call back.
No, it's not the end of the world if I don't get a call back. I am greatful that they even thought to call me in to audition. I think I could do that character really well. It's when I was alone in the car, on the way to the grocery store, that I was overwhelmed by my suckitude. I don't suck. In the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter. I felt fine today. I didn't really think about it at all , until I thought about blogging something. Then the sucking just washed over me again.
I'm fine. I just wish I could have stayed present. Oh well, another lesson learned. I think. . . .

Still Awake

I got some sleep and then went in and worked a full day . We were slamming again ! There was a cruise ship in town. We had a full staff and a new guy. He was picking stuff up pretty fast. He's very knowledgeable about the city. If he's not scared off by today, he's going to be a great asset.
So, I slept for about 2 1/2 hours. That's what I'm working off of. My mental capacity is not at full function as is exemplefied by me blogging instead of going to sleep. I can , you know, go to sleep. I'm not supposed to be anywhere and no one is expecting me. I've had dinner and there is nothing on tv.
Yup. I could go right to sleep. . .... . and yet. ... .I don't.

Dirty Jeans & Cake

It's 3 AM here. I just got home from working as a stand-in on the same film I worked on a month ago. Since I was standing in for the same actress and the same scene, I wore the same clothes I had worn last time. However, this time, they were dirty . I had to pull them out of the laundry pile. My call time was 4 PM. They didn't bring me to set until after 11 PM. They didn't use me until after 12:30. And now , here I am at home. I am concerned that I am not going to be able to fall alseep now . I have to be up again in a couple of hours to go to work.
Today , at work, we had a little ice cream & cake party for a couple of the girls who are finishing up their summer with us. Nutritionally, I don't need either cake or ice cream. Yet . .. I ate both . Then tonight , at the movie, for dinner, they had a big sheet cake for dessert because it was somebody's birthday. Yes, I had more cake.
Now, I generally subscribe to the theory that life is too short not to eat cake. And I proved my belief to the world. But , really . . . . . How much cake does dear old Dottie need ?

Jesus is Coughing

SO, yesterday at the booth was a mad house. We were short the manager and 2 regulars. We could have used a couple more people. Some lady got into it with one of my co-workers and she wanted to speak to a manager. Ha-ha ! Come back tomorrow ! It was one about one of the trolley companies. She was going to let the "Ritz Carltin" (sic)know about her disatisfaction. Knock yourself out lady. Earlier in the week we had a lady mad at us because we didn't have tickets for the same trolley company. "I'm in customer service and I am not satisfied ! You need to get on your game !". Clearly, if she did work in customer service, she would have known that was no way to treat people at our level. Surely, she would realize that that would become a sarcastic rallying cry to the more cynical of us (ie-ME).I kept accusing my co-workers of not "Being on their game " for teh rest of the day. We are innocent victims of the companies who advertise and then don't provide us with the necessary materials. I fuckin' hate people . . . .
So, besides it being crazy-crazy yesterday there was also severe thunder storms . The rain just came down all at once . It was just pure water. It was angry water. Thunder and lightning was loud and beautiful. SO, once it began raining, everybody rushed into the center. WE were packed. Many were just standing looking out the windows, some bought plastic ponchos. There was a family with little children and the children got scared because of the lightning and I heard the Mother (maybe she was an aunt ? ) "Oh, that's just Jesus coughing ! Hear it ? " So the next time the thunder happened she coughed. "See? Jesus coughing !". I tried not to make eye contact so I wouldn't have to get involved with soothing the children or perpetuating more lies about what God & Jesus are all about. I am not an official spokesperson or an authority on the subject. Granted , I have my opinions and I think they are right ,but the kids seemed too young to understand the reality or the abstract of the situation.
It was a tough day. .. it was especially tough because Jesus was coughing all over me and he wasn't covering his mouth . . . . .