There’s been a chill in the air the last couple of nights – I love it. Baseball is winding down the regular season, and playoff fever is in the air. We’re sliding into my favorite season of the year, and it makes me think of this wonderful quote…
“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
-Stanley Horowitz
So I’m now the proud owner of a new iPhone.
Or, I have one on a 30 day trial period, and I’m hoping it does what I need it to. The Sprint phone I purchased, the Instinct, simply did not have the calendar or email or document/file applications that I needed, which was disappointing because I liked the phone. Like most things in the world, neither choice was flawless, and choosing between the least flawed of the bunch was the goal! 🙂
I’ve had the iPhone for a couple of days now, and am really, really liking it – expecting to keep it unless the next couple of weeks reveals something unforeseen. I miss the “haptic response” the Instinct had (a little click that you could FEEL as well as hear when you typed on the keyboard – it helped make typing easy.) I also miss the “LiveSearch”, which was a feature that let you push a button, say “Search. Starbucks” and it would show you a list of the nearest Starbucks. (OR you could say Pizza, or hardware store, or bowling, or whatever – it combined an online yellow pages with GPS navigation and voice recognition to be a really cool program. Hoping I can get something similar someday for the iPhone!)
On the other hand, I really like the easy way the iPhone syncs with my iMac, wow does that make things easy. And the email and calendar programs are much, much better! Plus I’m happy to report that I get some coverage at home (we don’t get most cell signals in my house), and the “3G” network is accessible all over Lansing/East Lansing/Okemos/Williamston, so I get all the super high speed data stuff whenever I’m at or around the area where I work… which is a lot of the time!
I’ll be exploring the phone over the next few weeks, anyone who has suggestions on useful programs, fun programs, hints or tips please let me know! 🙂
I had this shown to me a while ago, and loved it but forgot about it. Recently came across it again, and had to post it.
This is one of those “The World is an amazing, fun, silly, wonderful place filled with amazing, fun, silly, wonderful people” kinda videos. Watch it, I love it.
For more info, you can check out the story behind it at the website Where The Hell Is Matt?
Also… the words to that song are pretty great, if you’re interested… click here!
…for Leaving Iowa has been going well. I’m a big fan of this play – I think it’s funny, and sweet, with a beautiful ending that gets me every time. Tomorrow is the day off for the cast, and while they’ll probably spend it looking at lines and doing actor homework, I’ll be spending it partly on Artistic Director/producer stuff, partly on Director stuff like figuring out the best way to attack A) the final 20 pages and 2) the next several days of rehearsal.
I’ll also be spending it partly on waiting for repair guys to come to our house: our water softener needs some work. Well, technically it’s not work, it’s a checkup/maintenance thing.
So, tomorrow will be some family time, some work for work, some work around the house, and watching somebody work around my house.
But, truth be told, I’m at that point in rehearsal where, no matter what else I’m doing, the rehearsal is always in the back of my mind. Much like my wife and kids, who are always there in the back of my mind (like “Oh, Maggie would love that! I’ll tell her about it tonight!), the family making the play is always in the back of my mind during the production process (“Oh, I just figured out what action to give her for that moment!). It’s a very similar thing: each cast and crew that come together form a type of family for a while. Whatever is going on, I’ll have that little itch of “What will help this moment work better, this transition become clearer? Are the actors comfortable, feeling safe? How do I help them feel comfortable and get the best performances out of them? Is my work up to par, or am I failing at any particular moment or aspect? Blah blahblah…..”
On this show, though, it’s an even more interesting thing: This show is all about family. A husband and wife, in their 30’s or 40’s, driving around with their kids, a boy and a girl. Although the details are different, the dynamics are very similar to my own family! Which means I’m bringing a whole new thing to the table with this show – my own kids… AND my relationship with them. For the first time, I’m really really seeing my life as a Dad impact what I’m doing. I mean, sure, being a father has had an impact on my work over the past 10 years, how could it not? But the difference is this: 4 years ago I directed this same show, and I thought it went really well. (I wasn’t the only one who thought that, it DID go really well.) I also think it’s going really well this time, but this time I’m seeing MY kids up there, and I’m seeing my relationship with my kids, and it’s the first time that’s really happened.
I found myself giving Hugh a note today that was basically It’s that look you give them, y’know, the one that says “Are you TRYING to get grounded for life?!”
And as a Dad, I knew EXACTLY what that meant. 4 years ago, I had an idea, but I wouldn’t have been sure.
Parenting. Directing. Growing up as we grow up.
What a process.
Anybody else ever get that “A Million Things Running Thru My Head Are Keeping Me Awake” thing happening?
Random thoughts, to-do lists, concerns, dreams – sometimes, just journaling helps them organize themselves into a quiet little line where, instead of jumping and waving their hands and yelling “Hey! Tony! Look at me!”, they wait their turn peacefully and even, if you’re lucky, stop keeping you awake for a night. Soooo…. here goes a purge of my brain in a very stream of consciousness manner.
Very excited: I’ve been offered a gig at Otterbein College again, and it’ll be A) very fun and B) money!
Man, the TIgers’ season has been disappointing.
The new staging of the Grandma and Grandpa scene that I’ll implement this week will work MUCH better.
I love some stuff about my new Instinct phone, but the Calendar and Email are sadly lacking, despite the advertised abilities, and aside from the phone those are the things I need most for work. Apple Store be ready, you will have a new customer soon.
Man, I had fun with my kids this weekend. (Max and I spent a bunch of time in serious game mode, even spending some time sitting around GameStop downloading demos for his Nintendo DS and trying them out. Then Maggie and I had a great time playing in the rain today, building a little shelter and just having fun getting drenched to the bone!)
Gotta schedule the callbacks.
Gas prices are unbelievable. Yeah, “It’s Hurrican Ike”… sure. And all the oil millionaires-turned-senators/governors/presidents.
They’re recording some stuff for a tv commercial at the theatre on Thursday. Should be interesting. Hope it sells tickets.
My wife is awesome, and helped me work through a pros/cons list in my phone dilemma! Plus, her new haircut is gorgeous.
Next season, try and get an apprenticeship set up, and try to add a week of rehearsal for more shows – 3 is good, 4 is better.
Stargate Atlantis has been cancelled?! I just found this out. At least Chuck and Pushing Daisies are coming back soon, and Lost!
Gotta get an eye doctor appointment, and order new glasses.
I need to write the program letter for Leaving Iowa tomorrow.
Must send Art Gallery updates to the artists for the Williamston Theatre Gallery.
Jeez we gotta pay for the kids orthodontics soon. Good Lord. I need a patron saint to fill my checking account, please. Or a job that pays more than artistic and spiritual fulfillment!
Must put a couple coats of sealer on the deck.
Crap, I just realized I got the paperwork for the stress test/bloodwork part of my “you’re turning 40 soon” checkup, but forgot to actually schedule an appointment. Damnit.
If I keep typing this will get too long and I’ll have to put it under a cut/link thing so it’s not ridiculously long…
Jeanne’s van is beginning to show signs of leaving this earthly plane. Damnit, I have no money for another vehicle!
The first family driving scene needs more silence.
Seriously – the Tigers are sucking. But Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs pitched a no-hitter tonight, and that’s pretty sweet.
Aaaaah – I’m done typing. A glass of warm milk and re-reading Act II while laying (lying?) next to my sleeping wife, that’s what’s next.
Wow, it’s still raining. That’s a lot of rain. I like the sound, though!
On September 10th, late-night talk show host Craig Ferguson absolutely nailed the Presidential campaigns currently going on!
I’ve enjoyed watching Craig Ferguson for a while now, and found his show to be great. He’s a Scotland native who recently became an American citizen, and he’s got a great take on this election. These clips are really wonderful, if you’ve got a couple of minutes check them out – they’re A) Inspiring, 2) Informative, III) Fun as hell.
Opening Monologue: Watch it, it’s just wonderful.
Thanks to my friend B.J. for these great links!
Because a couple of folks had a “If you see this, post a Douglas Adams Quote” thingie on their blog!
“I never could get the hang of Thursdays.”
-Arthur Dent, The Hitchiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
Anybody know anymore? Let’s have ’em!
Today was a terrific start to LEAVING IOWA. Yesterday was the first rehearsal, technically, but it was the nuts and bolts paperwork, the union votes, schedule discussions, read-thru (which went great), and some light tablework on Act I.
Today, we put the play on it’s feet, and started staging the first few scenes. A ton of fun, and a ton of challenges… but working with a great cast and quality stage managers turns every challenge into an opportunity, and that made today a joy!
And at home, despite having one car that’s decided to not work, we had a nice night. Some homework done with the kids, followed by some housecleaning/dishes while dancing to the soundtrack of Kim Possible (one of our favorite supercool spy- kid cartoons!)
There are days that I, as a Dad and as an Artistic Director, wonder “Can I really balance it? Can I be the Dad and Husband my family needs me to be and still give the theatre the Artistic Direction that it needs effectively?”
Not sure I know the answer, yet, but I know I’ll keep trying. Days like today give me hope, though!
Two fun things overheard this weekend:
“He’s so dense, light bends around him.”
“If I can’t spell it, I’m not eatin’ it.”
“An Obama victory would fulfill everything the rest of the world has been told America could be, but hasn’t quite been.”
-TIME Magazine
“…As I see it our choice is between a heroic old man whose time has long past and who will perpetuate failed policy, and a brilliant, openhearted new founding father of the new post-racial, post-divided America the likes of which we have not seen. We have never needed inspiration more. And we have never needed a president to inspire the rest of the world more. Every international opinion poll shows that Obama is not only the most popular American leader, perhaps ever, but more popular than any other world leader today.”
-Frank Schaeffer for the Huffington Post
Tony Caselli 