Monday, June 30, 2008

things and stuff

You know what annoys me so much? When people don't update their blogs. And when they do, all they do is post a picture or some random You Tube video and then you don't hear from them again for another week. What the hell? Why have a blog in the first place?

Oh. Yeah.

Well, anyway, I'm back! What has happened in the last week? Well, Jane and I are still bogged down with colds, but whatever, that's how we roll these days. Maybe I should rename us, so instead of being Jane And Amanda we can be Snots And Boogers or Phlegm and Nastiness. Those could be our street names or something. Pretty gangsta, if you ask me.

Despite that, we've been busy over here. This past weekend we spent our first night down at the boat. So, um, that was interesting. It involved a lot of crying and not sleeping and general crankiness, and I'm not even talking about Jane. Well, yeah I am, but none of us got much sleep, because as it turns out, the Between the Bridges Marina peeps know how to PARTAY on a Friday night and make a lot of noise until about 2 a.m. These crazy kids and their wacky, loud music.

On Saturday I drove my dirty, tired ass home from the boat to get ready for Beth's wedding and drive right back down Route 9 to Chester. It was a very pretty lovely sparkly love-a-riffic ceremony, and I was so happy to be there. Unfortunately, Lisa couldn't join us for the festivities because she's been struck with the Cold That Would Never Die, but she was there in spirit.

Since then, we've been working on getting things ready for our big Fourth of July fiesta of fun on Friday (oooh, how 'bout all of that alliteration?). I hate cleaning but this gives me a good reason to really scrub, and not half-ass it as usual. Why, just this evening I told Greg I wouldn't die of humiliation if someone walked into our house right now! But then, of course, the dogs dragged their mulch-covered selves in and dirtied things up again.

I've also been working on the big All Shook Up show, coming to a theater near you July 25 and 26! My co-director is off to Ireland for 12 days, so hopefully I won't mangle the show too badly in her absence.

That's all here! Thanks for tuning in for another installment of "This Is My [Boring] Life."

And because Shane said he refuses to see [title of show], here is another installment of the [title of show] show, featuring the very deelicious Cheyenne Jackson!


Tuesday, June 24, 2008

it's not you, it's me

I've been waiting to be in a good mood to write a nice, cheery blog entry. But dudes, it's, at this point, fifteenth verse, same as the first - Jane has a cold, and now I have it too. I'm so stuffed up right now, and completely miserable, and it triple sucks because it's summer! The time of year everyone told me would be soooo much better, and Jane wouldn't be sick, and blah blah blahhhh....bullshit. I'm running on minus-empty right now.

Anyway, what else is going on? Well, aside from the fact that I've obviously figured out how to post YouTube videos on this here blog, things have been pretty busy over here. We're about halfway through rehearsals for All Shook Up, which is July 25 and 26 - only a month away. Craziness. Jane's 11 monthiversary was yesterday - she's now a crawling maniac and has been pulling herself halfway up, as well as crawling in this weird, ass-in-the-air kind of way that makes me think she's starting to contemplate walking. Or, at the very least, she knows it's an option. We've been planning our Fourth of July party, as well as Jane's FIRST BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA (I'm trying to make that sound a lot more exciting than it's going to be). And by "planning" I mean obsessing about all of the house and yard work I have to do when I have some energy to get off the couch.

So that's about it. F-ing completely lame, I know. I'm sorry! I will leave you with this highly entertaining episode of the [title of show] show. Hey! Have I mentioned that it's opening on Broadway on July 17 (previews start on July 5)? Anyway, this episode has loads of Broadway cameos, and I strongly suggest that you watch through the credits, because the very end is the most hilarious part.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Friday, June 20, 2008

this ought to clear things up

So, I seem to have caused some confusion with my last post. But now it's going to get even more confusinger. You know how I love and claim [title of show] and Beth loves and claims In the Heights and Lin-Manuel Miranda, but how I love and now want to claim ITH and LMM (and how I know Beth will love and want to claim [tos] when she goes to see it, as you all will too)? Well, I think this video shows that [tos] loves INH, and since they are both Broadway shows, maybe they win? We may have been trumped. Nevertheless, it's extremely entertaining.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Tonys

So life has been nuts, but I wanted to let you guys know that along with forcing you all to go see [title of show] this summer (OPENING NEXT MONTH), I am now a big, gooey fan of In the Heights, which awesomely won a bunch of Tony Awards this past weekend, including the Best Musical Tony Award. My friend Beth saw this show last year Off-Broadway and was all like, "yeah, yeah, yeah, I love In the Heights" and I'm all like, "yeah, that's great, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm sure it's good, but I love [title of show] and I own [title of show], so you can have your In the Heights." So despite the fact that I, of course, still love [tos] and can't wait to see it again, I'm jealous that Beth owns In the Heights, and more specifically, its creator and star, Lin-Manuel Miranda, because I kinda want him to be my Broadway boyfriend now. (Sorry Adam Pascal, you had a long run.) But, just like I claimed Mark Ruffalo (who is my Hollywood boyfriend, not my Broadway boyfriend) and [tos], she claimed Lin-Manuel Miranda and In the Heights, so all I can do is post this appearance from the Tonys and hope that if Beth and Lin break up some day, I'll have a shot.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

And now, the answers to Alan's Big Birthday Quiz!!!

1) Despite a thorough dislike for the Barenaked Ladies, Alan is Canadian, and, because Jane is 1/someteenth percent French-Canadian, he is her Canadianfather. This is true. Alan is quite proud of his Canadianism, what with his spelling of words like "honour" and "colour" and saying "eh" a lot. Well, that last part isn't true, but I wish it was. And because of the fact that I don't know what French-Canadian really means, he has agreed to guide Jane in the world of all wonderful Canadian things. Which, I personally believe, includes the Barenaked Ladies.

2) Alan is well and truly obsessed with musicals, and, in particular, the musical RENT. Alan despises most musicals, and one that is close to the top of the list is RENT, despite the fact that HE'S NEVER SEEN IT. Does this seem strange to anyone else? He just thinks he won't like it. He only likes a limited few musicals, including Avenue Q, and soon, [title of show].

3) Alan has an unhealthy obsession - nay, hatred - for squirrels. Yeah, this is true, and it's a little weird. He plots against these fluffy intruders in his backyard. A recent post in his blog documents a squirrel doing some sort of ab crunches in his yard. See? Weird.

4) Alan loves birds, and would sit in his backyard and observe them all day if he could. Again, true, and again, weird. But I guess we all have to have hobbies.

5) Alan wears a lab coat to work every day. This is true, and I think it's so cool. Alan is a scientist, and he concocts potions all day. Actually, the potion part may or may not be true, but I like to believe it's true, and he's kind enough to let me believe it.

6) Alan is a huge reality television fan, and would just DIE if he missed Survivor every week. This is not true. Are you starting to wonder how we are even friends? Todd, of ToddandAlan, does watch a lot of reality TV however, so thankfully I have someone to talk to about Survivor, Amazing Race, Biggest Loser, etc, when we all go out.

7) Alan goes to church every Sunday, no ifs, ands or buts about it. This is hilariously not true. In fact, I'm honored - wait - HONOURED - that Alan came to my wedding ceremony in a Catholic church!

8) Alan co-starred with me in one of my all-time favorite theatrical experiences, SCT's production of Love Letters. He is also starring in STAR TREK: THE KLINGTASTIC MUSICAL (aka The Twilight Zone) at Hole in the Wall Theater this summer. All true. Love Letters was such an awesome experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. And I can't wait to see Alan in his Spock ears in STTKM (aka TTZ).

9) Alan is my number-one e-mail buddy, and when he goes on vacation (which he and his main squeeze, Todd, do unusually often) I make him send me a postcard because I'm so blue when he's gone. This is true. Alan hears all about the exciting details of my day, including what I had for lunch, what I'm doing that night, what sickness Jane now has. He is a lucky, lucky man. And I do insist upon a postcard, just so I can be even more jealous of all of their vacations. Of course, it should be noted that about 80% of my postcards come from Canada.

10) Alan sometimes wishes he was a little girl, just so he could sing "Tomorrow" in Annie. True. OK, False, but it would be a lot funnier if it were true. Someday when you're at my house, remind me to show you the Annie squirrel that ToddandAlan gave me for my birthday one year.

11) Alan turns the big 4-0 tomorrow! HAPPY (early) BIRTHDAY, ALAN!!!!!! True, and despite the fact that he doesn't really care much about birthdays, I do, and I couldn't let this one go by without a little extra recognition! I hope you have a great day!!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

An (early) birthday quiz for Alan's big day!

OK, before we get started, I kept the previous blog post, because it is Jane's official first post. I was typing, she came over and started whacking on the keyboard and somehow managed to publish that post.

Anyway, tomorrow is ALAN'S BIG BIRTHDAY! And to celebrate, here is a little True or False quiz about him. Answers to be revealed tomorrow:

1) Despite a thorough dislike for the Barenaked Ladies, Alan is Canadian, and, because Jane is 1/someteenth percent French-Canadian, he is her Canadianfather.

2) Alan is well and truly obsessed with musicals, and in particular, the musical RENT.

3) Alan has an unhealthy obsession - nay, hatred - for squirrels.

4) Alan loves birds, and would sit in his backyard and observe them all day if he could.

5) Alan wears a lab coat to work every day.

6) Alan is a huge reality television fan, and would just DIE if he missed Survivor every week.

7) Alan goes to church every Sunday, no ifs, ands or buts about it.

8) Alan co-starred with me in one of my all-time favorite theatrical experiences, SCT's production of Love Letters. He is also starring in STAR TREK: THE KLINGTASTIC MUSICAL (aka The Twilight Zone) at Hole in the Wall Theater this summer.

9) Alan is my number-one e-mail buddy, and when he goes on vacation (which he and his main squeeze, Todd, do unusually often) I make him send me a postcard because I'm so blue when he's gone.

10) Alan sometimes wishes he was a little girl, just so he could sing "Tomorrow" in Annie.

11) Alan turns the big 4-0 tomorrow!


HAPPY (early) BIRTHDAY, ALAN!!!!!!

A birthday q6+

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Jane's first hair cut: before and after



I'm sorry this blog is such a drag, but....

(below is from an email I sent this morning)


Worst night ever last night. Tripped over Jimmy on the way through the front door (I seriously didn't see him, he just got right under my feet), fell w/Jane in car seat, she hit ground hard, seemed OK, called doc, they said to keep an eye on her, she wigged out about an hour later, got ridiculously fussy and weird-acting, called doc again, he sent us to CT Children's Medical Center, after a couple hours there they determined she seemed fine from the fall but did have an ear infection, she threw up all meds they tried to give her, they had to give her butt tylenol (don't ask), we went to 24 hour CVS, WORST PLACE EVER, I swear to God I'm writing a letter about how horrible they were, finally got her home around 9, put her antibiotic in her bottle, she actually took it, and went to bed. Finally sat down at about 10. Not exactly the kickoff to the weekend I wanted. Her mood was pretty good this morning. Suffice to say, no boat today and hopefully we'll be able to get down there tomorrow - but I refuse to make any plans anymore. And the guilt of the whole thing is a magnificent cherry on top of my crap sundae.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

losing faith

This disgusts me.

I have worked in Hartford for eight years, and have often laughed at people who think it's a dangerous city.

But apparently looking both ways when you cross the road isn't enough anymore. Oh, and caring about someone who was sent flying through the air after being smashed by a car is passe as well.

I often used the words "enraged" and "outraged" semi-sarcastically, but this time it's for real. WTF, people? Where has the common decency gone?

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

my friends are cool

I highly recommend that everyone have a friend like Lisa. There's nothing else like checking in on your own blog and being surprised by a new, awesome banner. It rocks.