My Brilliant Career

I'm horribly shy when meeting people for the first time, so I thought I'd try an acting class. It also fulfills a requirement, but quite frankly, I'd take the class without that. I'm just sick of being afraid of my own voice. So here's how it's gone,

First class: Improvs galore. Utter agony. Utterly excruciating. Three hours spent with my heart pounding, sweaty, and ready to jump out of my skin.

Second class: More of the same.

Third class: The overwhelming panic has settled down to resignation mixed with occasional bursts of dread. We had to do a cold reading of a monologue and I wasn't sure whether to go serious or funny, but I went for funny and this monologue went over very well, especially with the women. :)

Fourth class: We did cold readings of scenes and I cannot tell you how much I prefer any cold reading to any improv situation.

After cold scenes, we broke up into pairs, ran monologues past each other and had to summarize our partner's monologues for the class. I went with this one and it was deemed "creepy". What can I say? I like off-kilter.

I'm still looking around, trying to figure out if I really want to go with this for my midterm monologue and I took out this book from the library. This woman was one of the NEA Four and she's a fucking hoot! I think probably only she and her friends can perform these pieces, but her commentary is hilarious.

Strong Drink Is Not for Men Alone

Alex Witchel writes about being served weaker drinks than her male companions while out to dinner.

But when the tray of drinks arrived, I realized that two men at the table had ordered the same as I had, Maker’s Mark in a tall glass with soda. The waiter was male, and sure enough, the drink lightest in color was served to me.

I think I've posted this before, but it seems appropriate to include Nigella Lawson's article wondering if it's really so shocking when a woman enjoys drink and sex.

Drunk women are looked upon more harshly than are drunk men because femininity - as a construct - relies on, is defined by, inhibition. What is natural - sexual appetite, anger, body hair - is deemed unfeminine. Being drunk is worse: it's a brazen refusal to be quiet, well-behaved and ladylike.

Cleome or Spider Flower

I finally read the instructions on how to take close-ups with my newish camera and I thought I'd try it on the Spider Flower growing in our front yard,

Hi Guys.

Long time no post. I'll spare you the details and share an awesome late-summer recipe.

This is inspired by a tomato/feta salad that the Barnstable Village General Store used to offer. I also looked up this and this.

Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad

Ingredients:
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Feta cheese
Vinegar
Salt
Also, a smallish piece of tupperware or a medium size bowl.

Wash and cut up the tomatoes and cucumbers. Quartered tomato slices and halved cucumber slices seem to work best.

Alternate in the tupperware container or bowl, layers of tomatoes, cucumbers and feta. In other words, a layer of tomato, then a sprinkling of feta, then a layer of cucumber, then a sprinkling of feta, etc.

I'm still working out how much salt to add. Usually I salt a couple of the layers which isn't really enough salt. I'm also thinking of adding more feta to the mix (layer of feta instead of a sprinkle).

After the bowl or container is filled, wet everything throughly with vinegar and put in the fridge. Chill for fifteen minutes to a half an hour.

Toss before serving. Add additional salt to taste. Mmmm.