After you’ve read and responded to the last few posts, CLICK HERE!

So for now, an update: Tomorrow is Performance Network’s “Subscriber Awards Night” and I’ve been invited. They do awards that their season ticket subscribers vote for. Should be fun.
Speaking of awards, I’m nominated for Best Director by the Oakland Press, which is nice, for Summer and Smoke. Those awards are Monday night, and also nominated are a bunch of folks I collaborated with, including Mindy Woodhead from S&S, John Seibert and John Lepard from The Mystery Of Irma Vep which was the show I directed in the Fall at Purple Rose – well deserved nominations, they’re all great actors. Also, some of the design team from Irma Vep is nominated for Technical Achievement; Vince Mountain, Joel Klain and Reid Johnson.

So, win or lose, it’s nice to be recognized, and I really appreciate that several of the local papers do these awards as a way of recognizing what is a talented, growing, vibrant theatre community.

Okay, I go back and forth about what to put here…random ramblings, thoughts about the Williamston Theatre Project, family/kid stuff, lists of things that annoy me, lots of links to things that make me laugh, or a mix of all of that? You tell me – what do you want to read about? What would be a useful/entertaining theme for the journal? Something that will inspire lots of discussion, maybe be useful?

Hmmm…Lots of changes going on right now as I work through starting a new theatre company, the school year is ending for my lovely wife the teacher and my daughter, a school year is starting in a couple of months for my son (his first!) As all of these things happen, and the Summer looks like it’s finally arriving, I’m in a re-evaluating mood, and this journal is just one part of that. I’m enjoying it, it’s cathartic, but I want it to be more than that, too.

So, first, put a comment here, and let me know what you think!
Secondly, go to the last post and answer the question: What do YOU need to be doing that you’re not? I’m curious.

Twice in two days I have come across this quote. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.

“It had long since come to my attention
that people of accomplishment rarely sat back
and let things happen to them.
They went out and happened to things.”
-Leonardo Da Vinci

I love that. Inspiring, no? And having seen it twice in two days, I think it’s something I should pay attention to.

Also, the second time I came across this quote was the journal of scarlettina. On her journal, she had several quotes posted. The other one that I really liked was this, also by Da Vinci:

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing.
Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Being willing is not enough; we must do.”

Hmmm….
I should be DOING more. Clean my office. Yard work with my wife. Raise more funds for WTP. Clean the kitchen. Produce more readings and shows. Spend more time with my kids, before they won’t want to anymore. Get more new plays read/produced. Create a theatre where audiences and artists both want to be.

What do YOU think? Anything you should be doing?

For those of you who read yesterday’s post (and if you haven’t, why not?!), you’ll remember that I predicted my new ‘get in shape’ tactics would make me a sore puppy today.
I was right.
Ow.
My muscles are yelling “Running?! RUNNING?! Wasn’t that a High School thing?! Sit down and drink BEER!!”
So I will stretch and run again. Until they stop yelling.
———-

And I’ve never licked a spark plug, and I’ve never sniffed a stink bug,
and I’ve never painted daisies on a big red rubber ball…
I’ve never bathed in yogurt, and I don’t look good in leggings,
and I’ve never been to Boston in the Fall!
-The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything

Anybody recognize THAT?! Hmmmm?

A spectacular day. Here’s a few reasons why:

Today, I got to rehearse a play with two good actors. A 10-minute play I’m directing for the Michigan Theatre Festival. Working with good actors is so much fun.

Also, the Tigers have won 4 of 5, and sent Carlos Pena to Triple-A, and called up Chris Shelton to take his place. Finally.

We took the kids to see MADAGASCAR. Yes, two movies in 6 days, but they’ve been waiting months to see this one, and what the heck, why not? (Let me say that this movie is so much better than KICKING AND SCREAMING that even though I was just disappointed after seeing K&S, after seeing this one I actually want my money back for seeing K&S now. Funny, funny, funny.)

Jeanne, Maggie, Max and I threw the big frisbee around the yard for a while, long after they should’ve been in bed, but it was too nice out to sleep!

I went running. Yes, I will get myself in better shape. I’m expecting to be sore as hell tomorrow, but it was a nice beginning. Thanks to the wonderful example of my beautiful wife, I’m motivated to get healthier!

Later in the wonderful evening, I went in to kiss Maggie good night and we wound up talking and snuggling until she fell asleep in my arms.

I will tell you right now, having your daughter cuddle you, chatting sleepily about school and life and all of the wonderful things that go thru a 7 year old’s mind, is one of the gifts that God gives to parents. One of the others is having her fall asleep in your arms, her cheek pressed against your neck, and you having the time to just sit there for a long, long while like that.

Then, Jeanne and I sat and ate ice cream (to celebrate my new ‘get in shape’ efforts, of course! *smirk*).

I think I’ll see if I can make tomorrow at least as good as today.

How was YOUR day? Let me know!

First of all:

Thanks to all of the men and women who’ve done a great service to the country by serving in the armed forces. My father in law, Richard Hicks, and my little brother Dominic Caselli come to mind especially.
To them, and anyone else who has served, Happy Memorial Day, and Thank you.
——————–

Now, in other news: Williamston Theatre Project is moving along nicely! We’ve got a schedule of readings and small performances that will soon be finalized and publicized at williamstontheatre.org, check them out next week! (I’ll let you know, don’t worry!)
——————–

Has anyone heard of Despair.com? Oh my God, hilarious. Please go check it out. Lots of “De-motivational” sayings, material. It’s like the OPPOSITE of an inspirational pep-talk!! (A sample of the wisdom found on the site: Dreams are like rainbows. Only idiots chase them.
As much as I love a nice motivational quote now and then, this site is completely the antidote for an overdose of pep. Very fun.
——————-

Lastly, what a great weekend. So much family time and productive WTP time mixed, hooray!
A quick laugh:
We took the kids to see Will Ferrell in Kicking and Screaming (don’t bother, by the way.) Backstory: it’s about a soccer dad who goes overboard with the competition thing and then (SHOCK) comes to his senses at the end for a ‘yay’ ending. So, because he does so much bad stuff thru the movie, he apologizes to the soccer team at the end, and talks about how he went astray.
So, in the car on the way home, being good parents, we say: “Okay you guys, did we learn any lessons from this movie?”
Maggie says, in her sweetest voice; “Yeah. Don’t learn stuff from your dad.”

*sigh*

After Jeanne stopped laughing I gave up and said “Yes, exactly. Mommy will now explain the other lessons in the movie.”

Thank you Will Ferrell.
——————-

SO, how was YOUR weekend?

Okay, this is fun – Tom DeLay, the House Majority Leader, is complaining that his name was used in an episode of Law & Order.
The reference was funny, and smart, and a comment on the PR trouble DeLay has had after his remarks about the judicial system during the Terri Schiavo case.
DeLay wrote to NBC complaining, and the producer/creators of the show said, basically, that they use people’s names all the time, and that’s just the way it goes.
In my favorite part of the article , though, creator/executive producer Dick Wolf added: “But I do congratulate Congressman DeLay for switching the spotlight from his own problems to an episode of a television show.”

Now that’s funny!

In other news, here’s a Tasteless Joke

Wow. I finally watched the 2 hour season finale. Some very cool stuff.

‘Nuff said.

Okay, here’s a couple of interesting facts.

The average life expectancy for people born in the U.S. in 1900 was 47 years.
For people born in the U.S. today it’s 77 years.

There are 45 countries with longer life expectancies than the U.S.

HOWEVER,

as our consumption of lousy food increases, the following is happening:

30.5 percent of U.S. adults are considered obese.
Right now, that statistic shaves about 9 months off of our average U.S. life expectancy.

The way things are going, by the year 2055, the percentages will be so high that obesity is expected to reduce the average U.S. lifespan by around 5 YEARS!

5 YEARS!

I’m going on a diet/exercise regime.

Right after I finish this Starbucks Decaf Mocha with Whipped Cream.