Holy Crap! I'm a Geek!

I have officially crossed the line... I AM A GEEK. Not an ubergeek, but a geek nonetheless. I am a participant in an online RPG. For those non-geeks out there, RPG = Role Playing Game...

The scary thing is, I really really like it. I had attempted this level of geekery before. After all, I'm married to a geek, so it's par for the course. I could never wrap my head around the actual role playing aspect. But this time, perhaps because of the group involved, I'm really getting into it. So far, however, we've been gaming online, so this Saturday I'll find out if I have it in me to stick to my character in person. ;)

I'm very excited about the idea of this particular campaign. It's a dungeon crawl, which means we're all stuck in a dungeon (of course), and we go from room to room fighting enemies, making friends, and of late, getting our asses kicked. When our characters finally emerge (which could literally take years), they will be at level 20. That's a lot, y'all. Boffo.

I'm still trying to get a handle on the details like when to roll, what to roll, how to keep track of inventory and hit points, etc. Luckily, we have a seasoned and wise Dungeon Master™, so Jennie and I (aka, the noobs) are in good hands.

I'll update more as the map unfolds. *giggle-snort* Did I seriously just say that? *facepalm*

New York, New York!

I wanted to summarize our trip to the Big Apple, but I'll link to my husband's blog instead. He's compiled all of our Tweets into a nice post. Also, his flickr feed has pictures, which we all know are worth 1,000 words each. (Conversely, Twitter only allows 140 characters per post) ;)

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!!

Sunday was arguably the patriotic high of my life. A Yankees game AT YANKEE STADIUM! Not only is it cool because it's the Yankees, but this is the last season of the stadium itself. Also, I got to go with my favorite fella, a hardcore baseball fan.

We took the train to Harlem from Tarrytown, and the subway into The Bronx. As soon as we stepped out of the station, the excitement rushed over the game-going crowd. We entered the park just like you'd enter any stadium, but knowing it was The House That Ruth Built™ made it magical. I remember wondering about all the people who'd been there in those halls and seats, to see a baseball game on a Sunday afternoon just like that one. I thought of the fathers and sons who'd been going to games for generations. It pained me to see one father/son duo in the section next to us whose former half kept leaving the boy to buy souvenirs. I could tell the kid just wanted to spend time with his dad at a game. On the one hand, I was sad. On the other, I felt so lucky to be married to man who I knew would recognize that excitement in his children. He was in fact, at that moment, enjoying this simple game as if it were his first.

We ate hot dogs, peanuts, and yes even Cracker Jacks™. It was a bona fide baseball going experience. After the game, we headed down the street to grab a genuine slice of New York style pizza. Boffo!

It wasn't an historical game. Aside from the two run homer Hideki Matsui hit in the 4th inning, and the brilliant double play by Derek Jeter later on, it was fairly run-of-the-mill. However, we'll remember it for the rest of our lives.

He Does It With Just One Hand...

On Friday night, we had the tremendous privilege of attending Elephant Man, directed by Deb Failla. That's right, MY Deb! And she is a true artist!

I'd never seen a live production of EM before, but I'm glad my first was Deb's show. Of course, all the rest will pale by comparison, but what the hell? It was brilliant! I could go into a synopsis of the play, but I'd rather share the experience. The Elmwood Playhouse is small (it seats 99), and instead of theater-in-the-round, it's got an ally way of sorts. The seating ascends on either side of a big, open gap in the middle of the room. A creative director, like Deb, knows exactly how to use this to her advantage. I'm not sure how to describe the magic, but every emotion was mirrored across the theater, either by the characters or the audience members on the opposite side.

Additionally, the actors were spectacular. And a really nice group of people to boot! When Rick Apicella, who played the lead, "transformed" into John Merrick, the entire audience was transfixed. It was so brilliant, if Deb had gone the make-up route (which she wouldn't have because she's too clever), the entire scene, and consequently the rest of the play, would've lost its marvel. Rick was utterly and brilliantly convincing as Merrick. The rest of the cast was equally talented. In the scene when Mrs. Kendal sees John for the first time, Tiffany M. Card stood perfectly still, EXCEPT for the vibrating feather in her hair. I couldn't see her face, but I knew her expression. Absolutely phenomenal!!!

So many other details added up to a truly unequaled experience in community theater. I wonder why this show isn't Off-Broadway™. :S However, having said that, perhaps it IS comparable to my first theater experiences at Hale Center Theater in, of all places, Orem, Utah. I remember being so astounded by the brilliance of the plays I saw, I was baffled by their presence in my tiny community. They should have been on Broadway, I thought. That was the place for such talent.

And it still should be. However, big names have taken the place of good talent. And while I enjoyed Legally Blond the movie, I sure as hell don't want to see a musical about it. Clay Aiken in Spamelot? No thanks.

I encourage all of you who appreciate the theater to check out a local venue. You never know what magnificent talent you'll find there. Unfortunately, you only get Deb's unique touch in New York. ;)

Tim Minchin Is So F**king Rock!

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I Less than Three New York!

This weekend in New York has been BOFFO! We'd been planning it for months so we could coordinate schedules with friends and shows and the like, and everything was perfect.

I'd come up to New York last November to see the amazingly talented Australian musical comedian, Tim Minchin. When I discovered he was coming to the US again, this time Off-Broadway, I knew I had to come back. For this trip, however, I had much more time to plan. I wanted to take the ol' man and meet up with Deb. Lovely Lexa from Pasadena flew in from CA, and Julie, my Kentucky Woman, joined us as well. With the ample time frame, we were all able to make arrangements for the kids, jobs, etc. More importantly, we could schedule the trip as a triple header: Elephant Man (directed by the incredible Debaser) on Friday, Tim on Saturday, and a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. I know. Fucking BOFFO!

Because of all the fantastic fun we were having, I've decided to split the experience into several posts. I'll be working on gathering my thoughts on the three main events. We travel back to Dixie tomorrow, so I'll have everything up within the next few days. Stay tuned...

Also, I was twittering while I was in NY, so you can check out little snippets on my Twitter feed.