Last Blog Post of 2009!

Wow...it's been almost two months since my last blog.  Shame on me.  If I had any dedicated followers, I may have lost them due to my negligence.  Sorry folks.  It's been kind of a whirlwind.  Right now, I'm sitting in a Panera Bread Cafe still in Orlando, and planning to stay through the Christmas holidays with my amazing, generous and loving friends.  It feels really, really good to be in their company!  Sending thanks to the Universe for that one!

The Triangle Logic experience exceeded my expectations.  I was here for a week of rehearsals before opening, and certainly there were some ups and downs...but hey...that's what rehearsal is for.  I love the rehearsal process and I learned a lot...not just about the play, but about the nature of work in progress...it was very enlightening.  The actors were every playwright and director's dream.  Each one of them brought so much to the piece and it was truly wonderful to see them living in the world of the play...I was very impressed, very flattered, and very grateful. Thank you Brooke, Trent and Mason...I hope our paths cross again.

Opening night...what can I say?  I already said it.  It exceeded my expectations.  The audience was tremendously responsive, and afterwards, during the talk-back session, they were tremendously supportive of the piece.  I loved the feedback...thoughtful, inspiring...really, I couldn't have asked for a better experience.  It's the sort of thing I would like to bottle and take out from time to time to feel those feelings again. 

You would think I'd be all gung-ho to continue to work on the latest project...but frankly, I'm feeling numb.  I guess I just need to put this year to bed, sort out the cobwebs in my head, and move forward when January comes.  I enthusiastically say goodbye to 2009....I did not like this year.  There!  I said it!  Goodbye and good riddance.  I have made a public announcement that 2009 (with the exception of this last month) SUCKED!  On to the next. Undoubtedly, there will be more hills to climb, but I'm getting very strong and I think I can handle it.  At least I hope I can.

Anyway, this will probably be the last post of the year, so those of you who are hanging in there, and staying with this blog, I wish you a beautiful, peaceful and joyful holiday season!  I hope 2010 will knock your socks off and bring you everything you desire!  That's what I'm hoping for myself, and I happily extend those sentiments to you as well.  I lift my glass in anticipation of what the future holds....L'Chaim everybody!!  Here's to a new year and a brand new decade...let's rock!

World Premiere of Triangle Logic

You've been wanting to take a vacation anyway, right?  You've been dying for an excuse to see DisneyWorld and Epcot Center.  The timing is perfect since you can get your traveling done early in the month and be home in time for the holidays. So come to Orlando to see the World Premiere of my play "Triangle Logic!"  You know you want to! 

Can you tell I'm excited?  I hope to see you at the show!  If not, there's always next time.  "Triangle Logic" may soon be playing in a city near you.  As my mother would say..."from my mouth, to God's ears!"

Passing

I'm here to promote my awesome friend Joe who is a wonderful photographer.  I'm proud to say that he's currently got an exhibition up at Gallery 825 called "Passing." If any of you are in the LA area, you really need to check this out.  Here's the blurb from the website:

"Joe Notaro's Passing exhibition of contemporary photographs captures the randomness and intimacy of everyday chance encounters by investigating the everyday action of walking in public. By capturing this moment, Notaro's camera creates the illusion of intimacy in a scene we recognize as merely another random passing. Noses seem to touch; eyes meet; an arm follows the arc of its natural movement — casual visual information that both greets and challenges the viewer."

Gallery 825 is located at 825 N. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA  90069.  The show runs through November 13th.  For more info check at LA Arts Association at http://www.laaa.org/

Go support art!  Go have a night of culture!  You'll totally dig it.  Yay for you Joe!  I'm so proud of you!

Blog Action Day: Stop hitting the snooze button and wake up!

I am not an activist.  I didn't start this blog to voice my opinions about what is right and wrong in the world.  I simply wanted a place to go to vent my frustrations, to document my observations, and to amuse myself and anyone else who cared to come along for the ride. But if I were to deliberately avoid speaking out about the elephant in the room; if I deliberately turned the other cheek and said I don't want to talk about an issue because it's too scary, too big, too political, too whatever...well, that would not be cool. 

Today is Blog Action Day and the topic is Climate Change.  I have been prompted by this event to talk about Planet Earth.  The timing is perfect.  I'm smack dab in the middle of a project that deals with this very issue.  I've been researching all things global warming and the truth is my friends, it is a very scary issue indeed.  But to do nothing, to say nothing, to remain apathetic would be the worst thing of all.

The news is bleak.  The numbers are alarming.  But the good news is, that the fat lady has not yet sung, and there's still time to do something about it.  Yeah...YOU!  You can do something.  WE can do something about it.  I am the type of person that gets overwhelmed by the big picture, and I won't lie...this is overwhelming to me, and I thought, "What can I do?  Little ol' me?  This is something that needs to be tackled by world leaders and people with important titles after their names." Wrong.  I am learning that helping out even on the smallest scale will have an impact.  If EVERYONE pitches in, the work it will take to clean up this mess will get done. 

One step at a time. I have to keep telling myself that with all things I try to accomplish.  But I can recycle.  I can reduce my water usage.  When I can, I'll walk instead of taking the car.  I can change my lightbulbs to the more energy efficient ones.  I can make these adjustments.  You can too.  It's not as hard as you think.  Yes, you can leave the big stuff to the big guns.  But in the meantime, stop taking for granted the beauty of this planet.  You'll miss it when it's gone.  You really will. 

Thanks for listening.  And now we will return to our regularly scheduled programming.  Peace.

Flash Forward

There's a new show on ABC on Thursday night at 8pm called "Flash Forward." It premiered this past Thursday with an encore showing last night. I guess they really want to build a following for this show. I think it's by the same creators as "Lost" and I never got into that show. But this one is good. The first episode was good anyway. Hopefully, they'll keep it up. Keep it intriguing, which it was. I'm hoping it doesn't get too complicated to follow, but it sorta reminded me of the "X Files" which I LOVED back in the day.

"Flash Forward" is clever and a little bit creepy and it hooked me right from the start. I made a vow to myself not to get sucked into watching reality television this season. Not that I ever was a huge reality fanatic. I watched "Survivor" for the first two seasons and then stopped. Watched "Biggest Loser" last season and really got into it, but I don't want to go there again this season. Enough is enough.

I'm too busy to watch television anyway, but every now and then a new show comes down the pike that is promising....I don't get HBO or Showtime, so I'm not even tempted by the great shows that are on those channels. "Glee" and "30 Rock" and now "Flash Forward" may be my choices for this fall. But I've got to limit my television time because I've got a lot of work to do....all the time, work, work, work....could possibly make Deb a very dull girl....God, I hope not.

Check out Flash Forward...I recommend it. It's cool.

New Articles

I have been getting a lot of articles published on eHow.com. There's over 20 articles right now, and the topics are extremely diverse. I have become The Research Queen!

Here's the link if you want to check me out over at eHow.com:
http://www.ehow.com/members/ds_d523de38-f2b5-4547-8917-455a7e9f390a-articles.html

I've been writing so much other stuff, I've sorta been neglecting this blog. :(
I promise to try and be more prolific. It would motivate me to write more bloggy stuff if I'd get more feedback...hint, hint, hint....no pressure of course!

Uh oh...it's back....

Yes, folks...we are once again in the midst of a Mercury Retrograde. It started yesterday, (the planet Mercury traveling backwards) and it will continue through September 29th. Mercury is the planet that rules communication, travel, technology...so when it's running backwards...well, you do the math! Usually, there are only 3 Mercury Retrogrades per year, but I guess 2009 is special, because we'll have to put up with a 4th one starting December 26th. Just a little heads up for ya!

Between the stinkin' retrograde, and tomorrow being 9/9/09, and the full moon a few days ago, and the Swine flu, and the fires, and, and, and....AHHHHH.....the sky is falling, the sky is falling....Nah...it's not the end of the world...that doesn't come until December 21, 2012...the end of the Mayan calendar. You've heard about that right? Well, if you haven't, don't worry....cause Hollywood made a movie all about it. It stars John Cusack (one of my favs) and I'm sure it will help you learn everything you need to know about the end of the world. Cause if Hollywood says so, it must be true. Right? Of course right! Bahahahaha...

Honestly, I'm not as caught up in all this astrological stuff as some of you may think. However, I do believe there might be something to it...and even if it is all just a bunch of bullshit, at least I have something to blame for my fuzzy head, my forgetfulness, and rude people who do not answer my emails or return my phone calls...etc., etc., etc. I will tell you this: I am fiendishly backing up my work on my computer...call it superstitious or call it ridiculous, but better safe than sorry, my daddy used to say!

Mercury may be moving backwards causing all these feelings of sluggishness...but the fact is that the world, as far as I know, is still turning, and work awaits....I must get to it...I need to go feed the machine!

Follow Me

I have three people following this blog. Three wonderful people and I thank them all from the bottom of my heart.

Now, you may or may not have noticed, that all three of my followers have names beginning with the letter "J." Please do not let that deter you from following me. That is not intentional! I am open to followers of all letters, all initials....every representative of the alphabet is welcome.

So, with that being said...come on along. Enjoy the fun-filled, fast-paced journey to the inner recesses of my crazy, meshugganah mind! You know you want to...

Why I oughta....

How hard is it to flush a toilet in a public restroom? Seriously. What is the big deal? If you don't want to get all germy, use your foot. That's what I do. But you need to FLUSH PEOPLE!!! It's disgusting. Do you honestly like it when you walk into a stall and get a visual of someone else's...uh...shall we say...history? FLUSH!!!

That's all. I'm done. I feel slightly better.

Water...

It took longer than usual for the sweat from the frosty, icy cup to drip down. It moved slowly...like an old man on a hot and humid day. I sat and watched its journey...mesmerized, hypnotized...waiting, waiting, waiting for it to make its descent. There were moments when it didn't drip at all. A bubble of liquid transfixed to the side of the cup.

In its grand exit from liquid to solid, it eased its way off the cup and dripped meticulously on to the napkin that lay beneath. The napkin waited eagerly to receive the moisture. As it rolled off the cup and on to the paper, it sat there for an excruciatingly long moment. With grace and finesse, with patience and fluidity, it leisurely merged into the napkin....shrinking incrementally....sinking into the dry coarse recycled paper...with one final gasp before disappearing completely, leaving only the slightest trace of its former existence.

Trazzler

I wrote a review for a travel website called Trazzler. It's a pretty cool site. Check out my review and photo at:
http://www.trazzler.com/trips/los-rios-historic-district-in-san-juan-capistrano-ca-92675

Let me know if you dig it. Plus, I don't always write all flowery and crap...but that's what they wanted. Just lettin' you know.

The Slap Chop

Have you seen the guy on this infomercial? He's hysterical. A totally no-nonsense guy with the attitude of, Hey, I have a good product here. See...it works! It's good! Buy it! Damn it!

He's got this New York accent, which obviously I have an affinity for....and he says stuff like, (insert your New York accent here) "See this tuna? It looks boring. Stop having boring tuna...stop having a boring life..." It's all done very quickly, he speeds through his spiel, but he cracks me up.

Does he crack me up enough to buy the Slap Chop? No. I haven't succumbed yet...it's just another one of those many kitchen gadgets that look good in an infomercial at 3:00 in the morning but the reality is...not so much....after all, ya gotta buy the veggies before you can cut them up!!

But watch this guy's commercial. That's worth seeing. It's at http://www.slapchop.com/

I promise I'm not getting any kickbacks and I don't work for him. I just think he's amusing. And I like being amused. Who doesn't?

Mrs. Lamedman is my mother...

This has been going on for awhile, but I finally said something. I'm at the grocery store, and I swipe my club card to take advantage of all the fabulous discounts they give "valued" customers. The only thing that card is good for is getting a free sandwich once every 2 years...but I digress....

I guess it's in the Employee Handbook that the cashier must thank the customer by name and tell them how much they've saved. I like this store. I like their deli section; I love the bread they use for their sandwiches; they make great Oatmeal Raisin cookies, and their roasted chicken is pretty darn good. Their produce is too expensive, but I can go somewhere else for that.

Anyway, every single solitary time I go to this market, it's the same thing. I swipe my card, and at the end of the transaction they say, "Thank you MRS. (insert the most mangled version of my last name you can possibly think of.) If you're reading this and DON'T know how to pronounce my last name, please learn...it's not that hard. It breaks down into 3 syllables. Don't be lazy...figure it out.

Usually, I ignore their mispronunciation of my name. And I ignore the fact that they ASSUME every time that I'm a MRS. I don't want to get into a big deal over a seemingly stupid issue. But every clerk does it. EVERY TIME! They assume I'm a Mrs. Well, you know what they say about assuming, don't you?

Yesterday, it happened again. And I would have ignored it again, but this cashier was fighting the good fight trying to pronounce my name correctly. She said, "Thank you Mrs. Lamerhead....no, no that's not it....thank you Mrs. Lauderdale, no, no, no...Mrs. Lamerrness? I wanted desperately to let it go, smile, nod, get the hell outta there...but she finally said, "how DO you pronounce this?" I told her.

"It's Lamedman. Just like it's spelled. Lam/ed/man. Pretty easy. Trips off your tongue."

"Oh yeah," she says. It is easy. Thank you Mrs. Lamedman."

And that's when I lost it.

"It's not MRS! Mrs. Lamedman is my mother. I am single. Do you see a ring? Why do you just naturally assume I'm a Mrs?"

I felt a little bad but not totally. I mean she got the brunt of my pent-up frustrations because of all her fellow store clerks doing the very same thing she had done....I had never said anything before, but she started it.

"Oh," she said. She looked startled. But then she smiled. "I'm single too." I'm a Miss or a Ms. What do you like?"

"I like Debbie."

"But what do you like to be called?" She was an idiot. I had tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she was just plain dumb.

"Have a great day, " I said ignoring her last question. I wanted to get out of there....apparently I was surrounded by too many married women who liked when the clerk called them Mrs. So and So.

If I were really pissed, I wouldn't go back to that store again. I would boycott. I would take my business to a single-friendly establishment. But we all know that I'm not going to do that. In the end, it's not that big a deal. And the truth is, they really do have the best roast chickens, Mrs. Lamedman!

Procrastination......

Saturday morning, hot as Hades. I don't do well in the blazing heat. I'm thinking Alaska sounds good right about now.

I have a lot of work to do today and I'm finding all these other things to do, just so I don't sit down and write. But look....I'm writing this blog...but this is just another way to avoid writing what I need to be writing, I'm afraid.

I'm dusting, vacuuming, rearranging my closet (lemme tell ya that was fun to do on a hot morning) all in the attempt to avoid the unavoidable. And a deadline beckons. So I must get to it.

I'm considering this as my warm-up, because at least now I'm in position to write. Seated at my computer, fingers poised over the keyboard, ready to go, go, go....coffee at the ready, creative thoughts.....um....creative thoughts??? HELLO??!! Creative thoughts? Are you here? Are you awake yet? No answer.....

Well, I can't wait for them to catch up....deadlines don't care about creativity...it's all about the tick, tick, tick of the clock. So I will do my best and hope like crazy that my sweet and lovely Muse will show up. She likes to visit in the wee hours and I'm simply not in the right state of mind to entertain her at 2 or 3AM. Though I have been known to throw a party or two in her honor.

Heat makes me sleepy. Round the clock I'm sleepy. As Cher said to Nicolas Cage in "Moonstruck", "SNAP OUT OF IT!" That's exactly what I need to do. So I will close this entry for now and get to the task at hand. Wish me luck. I need luck. I need inspiration. Perhaps I even need a miracle, but at this point, I'll take whatever I can get.

Stay cool. Stay inspired. Until we meet again.....

If you won't post it, then I will!

So I submitted this little blog entry, article thingy, whatever you want to call it to this woman who has a site devoted to giving men advice about women. Ok...stop rolling your eyes...I know the idea of ME giving advice to MEN is a bit hard to wrap your brain around, but hey...a gig is a gig, and she was paying 20 bucks a post.

I wrote a little ditty, and she ignored it; is that better than rejection? No news is good news? What the hell...I'm not getting my 20 bucks. However, I read it to a couple of friends, and they liked it, so I'm putting it here. Why the hell not? I'll pay myself. Here ya go...twenty bucks...knock yourself out!
If you're a guy reading this, and you want a little insight into a woman's mind...you've come to the wrong place...tee hee hee. Hey, I have no idea what women want or what men want or what I want half the time...but here's my two cents worth....or rather, my $20 worth. At the very least, maybe you'll get a little chuckle out of it. Enjoy! I'm gonna take myself out to lunch with my twenty bucks!

Fickle Women

Feminists may hate me after this, but I don’t feel like I’m telling you anything you don’t already know. Women are fickle. There! I said it. If this is a shocking revelation then you must not get out much. But as a woman, and in my experience with other women, we are a fickle bunch.

You have to know that it’s not deliberate. Flip-flopping like that—changing our minds from one minute to the next. It must be part of our genetic makeup. I never thought that I was a fickle gal; I always thought I was above all that. I wanted to think I was not your average girl and definitely not a game-player. I shoot from the hip and tell you what is really going on in my head. But truth be told, being in the dating pool has brought out the “fickle” in me. So, I realized, sadly, that I was like a lot of other women out there. Damn…I really thought I was different. Ah well.

So, you may be asking yourself, what can you do with this information if the girl of your dreams can’t make up her mind? Well, I say, you should call her on it. But not in a mean way. And I know guys hate confrontation, but you shouldn’t let her get away with her wishy-washy ways. Make her make a decision. I kinda like it when a guy does that. When he puts his foot down and says, “Enough is enough! You either like me or you don’t…stop stringing me along.”

But if you take this advice, be prepared for the answer. If she says “thanks, but no thanks,” you’d better be ready for the rejection. In the end, don’t you want to know? If there really is something between you, you’ll both know it and she’ll probably respect you for calling her on her fickle ways. Then you can move on to the next step, whatever that may be. If she says goodbye, then move on. She wasn’t the right one for you anyway.

Remember that fickle women require patience and kindness. Be firm, but be gentle. I can’t really give you an explanation as to why women are fickle, but knowing that we have that tendency may help to prepare you for her change of heart. If she’s the right one for you, she’ll come around. And whatever happens, have faith that it will work out for the best in the end.

Instead of going to the beach, why don't we hang out on Facebook?

Yesterday afternoon I was sitting in Barnes & Noble again…working away. Writing my brains out. Taking time out to rub my eyes and clear my head for a sec, I happened to glance over at the computer screen of the girl who was sitting at the table next to me and sharing my plug.

I was in between thoughts. Taking a mini break to let the scene I was working on gel. So I glanced over and watched this chick, who was typing away on Facebook. And then she switched over to Twitter. And then she switched over to LinkedIn. And you’re asking yourself, why the hell were you watching this Ms. Lamedman? Give this girl some privacy.

I was not reading what she was writing. I couldn’t even I tried because my eyesight seems to be failing me on a daily basis. HOWEVER, the thought that went through my mind was this: "I know why I’m sitting inside a Barnes & Noble on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, but why is she?? Why is she sitting here and visiting all these social network sites, when she should actually be out in the world SOCIALIZING!!"

It bothered me. She was young…college-aged probably early 20’s. I wanted to yell at her, “go out in the world and live your life. Don’t sit behind a computer screen and look at other people’s pictures!

Okay…I’m done venting. This is probably making me sound old…this is the new generation of socializing. They don’t talk, they type, they text, they IM, they Facebook, they Twitter….it’s amazing that they actually have photos of themselves to put up on these sites…but my thought is that when they do manage to get together, it’s all about making sure they have photo opps so everyone can go on their Facebook profile and see what a great life they’re having. When in fact, all they’re doing is sitting at home, or in Barnes & Noble’s café and pretending to have a life.

Harumph!

My newest article on happiness...sometimes I really need to take my own advice!
In Search of Happiness
In today's fast-paced and stressful society, we can become overwhelmed with negative and pessimistic emotions. Recognizing the simple, everyday pleasures we encounter, can help you find a way to live a happier life.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1879582/in_search_of_happiness.html

Living the Cliched Life

So here I am on a Saturday night eating matzoh like a good Jewish girl and watching reruns of "Sex and the City." At least I'm not eating a pint of ice cream...matzoh seemed like the right choice. I don't have too much of an appetite these days and I wanted something light and easy to digest.

I'm feeling sad...for a variety of reasons, but nevertheless, sadness is my current state of mind. However, it seems like the beginning of what I feel to be big changes coming round the bend. Ya know when you can just feel it? Nothing tangible at first, but do you know what I mean when I say that you just know your life is about to change inexplicably? Maybe I'm just wanting things to change so badly that I'm manifesting this feeling. But even so, I say, let the manifestation begin! Because I'm ready for change. I'm ready to turn the corner, meet new people, face new challenges, get out of Dodge, and live up to my potential. Do I sound like an ad for a Tony Robbins infomerical? I know...I know...I guess I do...but cliches are there for a reason.

According to Wikopedia: "A cliché (from French, pronounced [kli'ʃeɪ]), is a saying, expression, or idea which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, rendering it a stereotype, especially when at some earlier time it was considered distinctively meaningful or novel. It is frequently used in modern culture to reference an action or idea which is expected or predictable, based on a prior event.

So I'm not feeling very original these days...but the hell with it. Being a cliche for a short period of time isn't the worst thing in the world! I'm just going to wallow in my clicheness for a few more hours, then I'll cast it aside and get on with my to do list. Number 1 thing on the list: STOP BEING A CLICHE!

Now I'm putting it out there to the Universe. I'm embracing change and holding my arms wide open. There's a lot to look forward to, and that's what I'm doing. I'm looking forward, not looking back...and I'm sorta thinking that eating matzoh on a Saturday night while watching "Sex and the City" reruns isn't all that bad. It's comforting and right now I need to give myself all the comfort and love I deserve. Tomorrow I will take my Spin class and work out the stress and work on my play and write a new article and I will manifest change. How corny can I get, right? But please, cut me some slack...I'm feelin' a little blue!

Wear a bracelet, find a job...

I can't believe it's already June 1st. 2009 is flying by...already 1/2 over. Oy vey!

Okay, so you know those rubber bracelets that everyone wears for different causes? Started with Lance Armstrong's Live Strong and now it seems like every charity has one. Well,I want to share a link that I discovered yesterday. Now there are bracelets available that help you promote your own cause.

These two ladies in Sarasota, Florida designed these bracelets that say "Laid off. I need a job." What a brilliant idea. Wish I would have thought of it. It's just like wearing a sandwich board back in the day saying, "Will work for food..."

Apparently, these wristbands are selling like hotcakes and if nothing else, they are conversation starters....someone says, "Oh...I see you're looking for work...what type of work do you do?" And you tell them what type of work you do, and then before you know it, bingo, presto, chango, you're back in the game.

They're sending me my bracelet today. They come in two colors...neon yellow and neon pink. I'm getting the yellow one. I will wear it everyday. I told my friend David about it, and he said, it's easier to wear a bracelet than to carry around one of those heavy sandwich boards. Amen to that!

I told the Sarasota ladies I would help spread the word, so here I am...spreading the word. Check out their site if you want your own bracelet. http://laidoffneedajob.com/index.html
If the economy starts getting better, and people start finding work again...you'll know who to thank!

Mercury Retrograde, I presume...

Some people think this Mercury Retrograde thing is a crock of shit. I do not. I have tracked it. There's something to it. Astrologers call Mercury the trickster, because during the retrograde phase all sorts of crap goes down. Literally. Like your computer. Or your tire. Flat as a pancake. I know 3 people who got flat tires last week. Coincidence you say? Maybe...It does sort of feel like a poltergeist is living with you. The other day, I lost an entire stack of mail that I had set down on my desk. One minute there...the next minute gone. I have no idea where it is. Kinda annoying ya know?

This one seems to be a particularly bad one. Mercury rules communication, so communication right now is all icky. I can't complete a full conversation before my cell phone starts acting up. Okay...that's a common occurrence whether it's Retrograde or not, but still...

The worst thing that has happened so far is my mom took a spill. A pretty bad one, I must say. She broke her shoulder and fractured her pelvis and now she's laid up for who knows how long. And making sure she gets the attention she deserves in this facility she's in....well....for the past week I've been feeling like I'm in the Twilight Zone. It feels like such a fight to get these people to help her. Once they do, they're very nice about it...but getting them to do it? OY VEY!

I'm blaming all of the shenanigans that has been going on lately on this retrograde. Maybe that's not entirely fair...good things happen during retrogrades too, so I'm told. Like reuniting with old friends...which I have (hey Jeff!) and finishing up projects that had been started awhile ago (yay me!) But truth be told, I will be very happy when Mercury is sailing along in its right direction again. This should happen around May 30th, so we've got a little over a week to go.

If my life feels less sluggish, my mom starts healing more quickly, and my cell phone actually gets reception I will let you know. Of course...that might just be me waiting for a miracle. But I won't rule that out either!

Smith & Kraus Website

Check out my publisher's website at www.smithkraus.com Lots of cool books, including my own! Yes, that was a shameless plug....hahahahaha!

5 Articles in one week. I hope people read them. I hope I can continue to be this prolific. Anyway, here's the latest:

The Battle of the Yo-Yo Dieter
The reasons why some people have a tendency to regain lost weight, and how they can stop the cycle of yo-yo dieting.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1701859/the_battle_of_the_yoyo_dieter.html

New article, ladies and gents. Enjoy...

My Secret Salt Addiction
Admitting to overly using salt to flavor certain food items. Weighing the health options of too much salt use.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1697124/my_secret_salt_addiction.html

Running uphill...

So, today was a day full of minor disappointments. Two projects I was hoping to come through, did not. I take a breath and start again. But I am wheezing a little bit, so breathing in itself is a little difficult these days. Ahhhhh... it's called LIFE, folks. No one said it would be easy, right? Right? Can I hear an "Amen?"

Good news is, I got another article published on the web today. This one is about my beloved Spin class. Best workout ever. I love spinning. So, I've got a few more articles pending...hopefully, they'll be published soon.

Today felt bumpy though...creativity was a bit elusive. I realized a long time ago, that you can't wait for inspiration, but it sure does make life and writing easier when the muse appears. Dollface...where are you?? Muse of my heart...don't leave me now! Ok...gotta stop...I've been in front of this screen all day and only slightly productive. It's quittin' time folks and I'm yearning for an adult beverage....see ya on the flip side...

Orange County Coffeehouses for the Bohemian at Heart
A review of three distinctive coffeehouses located in South Orange County, California.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1689643/orange_county_coffeehouses_for_the.html

1st Saturday in May...

A gray morning, but I like it. When the weather gets hot I get cranky. And the pressure to put on a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt starts the anxiety rolling. But I'm working out. Not as much as the contestants on the Biggest Loser, but I'm doing it. Just got back from Spinning class. How come, after all these years of doing it, it never gets easier? How come? If you have the answer to that question, please let me know!

I know I need to change it up...the workout I mean. There is so much information floating around in my head about working out and dieting and metabolic heart rate and yada yada yada, I am DIZZY! I just wanna go and do my thing and eat whatever I want and look amazing. Is that too much to ask for? I don't think so.

I thought I saw the beginning of definition in my triceps today. But I wasn't wearing my glasses, and I think that particular mirror in the gym is warped, so I'm not sure. But maybe...it's not the arms so much, but the belly that concerns me. I will not say I hate my belly, because then the Universe will believe me and there will be reasons to hate it. No, I don't hate my belly, but I would like to see a vast improvement. Hello Universe? Did you hear that? A little flatter please, if you wouldn't mind? I know all those crunches aren't going to do it...I know I gotta lay off the chocolate and the ice cream and the occasional (I SAID OCCASIONAL PEOPLE!) potato chips...ahhhhh....I know what I gotta do. I just gotta do it. Famous last words, right? And speaking of last words, these are mine for now...gotta go hit the shower and get on with my Saturday! Until the next time...

Posts from days gone by...

So, the blog at this particular location is new. But I was blogging last year on my website. Decided to move it over here. I'm putting some of those old posts regarding "How the Nurse Feels" on this site, just to let all you avid readers catch up with the comings and goings of that show. There is probably a better, more sophisticated technological way to do this...but I don't know how. I'm still technologically-challenged...it's a miracle this blog exists! Here are the '08 posts:

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Disney/ASCAP Workshop
Okay, so for those of you who don't know, my partners and I have been writing a musical called "How the Nurse Feels" and it was accepted into the Disney/ASCAP workshop at the Disney Studios in Burbank. Out of a zillion entries (just a mere exaggeration) our show was one of four shows selected.
On April 7th we presented the first 25 minutes of the show and then we were critiqued by a panel of musical theatre experts including Stephen (Wicked)Schwartz. Then, we had three weeks to work on the piece (implementing the notes we received if we so desired), and we came back on April 30th to present 55 consecutive minutes of our show. As participants, we were also required to attend the presentations for the other 3 shows in the workshop. That's the back-story.So here's how it went: First of all, just attending was a master class in writing. Watching other people's work and then hearing the critiques from the highly esteemed panel was amazing. I learned so much. But being a participant...well, it was very cool, kind of surreal and a tad bit overwhelming.
After the first presentation on April 7th, John Glaudini (composer) and David Green(lyricist, co-bookwriter) feverishly started writing new songs. Those two guys were like machines...I was in awe. Consequently, new songs meant new scenes and new dialogue and that's where I came in. Thank God for Starbucks, cause that's where David and I do our best writing. DG and I were writing right up until we presented our piece. I'm not kidding you. They were about to open the door to let the audience in and we're still writing dialogue to help bridge a scene. Oy vey! Very exhilarating to say the least.
The cast was terrific...they did a wonderful job and it was so much fun seeing our characters come to life, hearing the audience laugh in all the right places...that was the cool part. Here comes the nerve-wracking part...Well, our panel was incredible. In addition to Stephen Schwartz, we had Winnie (Wicked) Holzman, Dean (Footloose) Pitchford, and Jeff (Avenue Q) Marx. They gave us some amazing feedback and spoke to us for over an hour. I took notes, but mainly just listened to what they had to say. Mostly, their comments were right on target, but sometimes what they had to say was a bit contradictory and in the end they all said, "take what we say with a grain of salt, you have a great show."
The audience loved it, which of course is very encouraging. But the bottom line is we still have a lot of work to do. I, personally, love our characters and feel that with a little more work on storytelling, we might just have ourselves a fine piece of theatre. For now it's back to the drawing board. Stay tuned for more updates! Until the next time...


Monday, October 6, 2008
How The Nurse Feels in NYC
Well, we're going back to NYC with the show. This time we're crashing the NAMT Festival. That's National Alliance of Musical Theatre for all you civilians out there. We submitted our show for their yearly festival and two of our songs will be put on their annual CD, "The Other Shows You Need to Know About." However, they only choose 8 shows to do readings for the festival and we, unfortunately were not selected. But my fearless partners decided to venture forth and we are putting up a reading with a star-studded cast and slipping it in, in between the NAMT readings. Such a clever idea!Anyway, please check out the link for the full story on BroadwayWorld.com.
http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=33778
It tells of our illustrious cast and a little bit about the story of the show. It's a very exciting time to be sure! Stay tuned...I'll let you know how it all goes down when I return from the Big Apple. Until then... P.S. Another press release on "Nurse" is up on the Playbill website. Check it out at:http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122133.html

The other day I was standing in front of a Barnes & Noble bookstore waiting for it to open. I wanted to get there early, because I wanted to do some work on my laptop. Barnes & Noble is set up to accomodate the worker who doesn't have an office and finds being at home far too distracting. That would be me. You can actually sit in their cafe all day long if you want to. And I wanted to. There is only one glitch, however...eventually you're gonna need to charge your battery. In this particular store, there are only two outlets inside the cafe area and those tables that are in close proximity to the electrical outlets are obviously the creme de la creme. I already had my work cut out for me; there was a guy who also arrived with his laptop in tow...I knew he knew the layout of the cafe just as well as I did. We both knew where the prime plugs were. It was definitely going to be a race to the death. Or, in this case, to the plug.

As I was waiting for the store to open, standing next to the 10 foot sign displaying the hours of the store: "Barnes & Noble open every day from 9AM to 11pm," a car pulls up right in front of the store, right in front of me, and right in front of the sign. Did I mention the sign was about 10 feet high with the words, "BARNES & NOBLE OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 9AM TO 11PM. Yeah, I did mention that. So the woman in the car, rolls down the passenger door window, leans over , looks past me, looks directly at the sign and says, "Excuse me?" I turned. "Yes?" I asked. "Do you know what time the store opens?" I looked at her. I looked at the sign. I looked at the man with the laptop. He winked at me. I smiled and turned back to the woman in the car. What I really wanted to say was, "Are you blind? Are you kidding me? Why do you want to go into a bookstore if you can't read?!"

Of course, I didn't say any of those things. I simply answered "9:00." "Oh," she said. "Do you know what time it is now?" I glanced down at my watch. "Five to nine," I said. She was really starting to get on my nerves. Without so much as a thank you or a nod or anything, she tore out of that parking lot as if she was the getaway car in a bank robbery. I turned to look at my fellow laptop user, but he was watching the manager unlock the door to the store. Apparently, my watch was 5 minutes slow. It was showtime.

Laptop guy proved to be a gentleman, allowing me entry into the store before him. I reached the prime table next to the plug. He sat at a table directly next to me so his plug would reach the outlet as well. I got the bigger table, but we were both happy.