For shame...

I have a confession. I'm not finishing the dress for my cousin's wedding. I copped out. I bought a dress.

But Ann Taylor is having the "best sale ever" and it REALLY GOOD!! 40% off of everything marked down? UM, YES.

For my dress, I still need to handsew the lining into the bodice, put in the zipper, and hem. And make a belt. And wash/press. And snip all of my threads. And take out my stay stitching in the skirt because you can see it. That's a good 6-8 hours of sewing still ahead of me. And I'm working at ULTA tonight... and Saturday ALL day, and Sunday ALL day. And I need Gene's mom's help on the zipper because I hate them and usually pay someone to do it for me... and she's away tomorrow until Sunday. AND the neckline is funny and we need to fix it. Which leaves THE WEEK LEADING UP TO THE WEDDING to work on it.

So, no.

This is the dress that Ann Taylor blessed me with:



HOW PRETTY IS THAT? So pretty. So, if I have two little black dresses... then I have two little black dresses. Late last night, I got the email from Ann Taylor that they're having the "best sale ever" so I looked... JUST TO SEE what black dresses they had. And this one was $59. Not bad at all. So I was considering it. I tried calling my cousin, but she didn't answer. I added it to my cart. And my cart said $35.88.

UM, WHAT? THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS? HELL YEAH!

So I called Gene's mom to ask her advice and she said "oh you need to buy that dress." So I did. I had to put 3 day shipping on it so it would get here in time, but with expedited shipping... it was still less than the price I thought I was going to pay for it.

This dress better look good...

Please, stop trying to kill me.

In the past 3 days, 6 separate drivers have tried to kill me. I don't understand why some people are so unbelievably reckless and utterly stupid when it comes to driving, and frankly it just makes me plain angry.

Saturday, someone changed lines a little too close for comfort. Had I not been wary of this stupid driver, he might have clipped my Gene's car.

Sunday (when it was raining) two cars within 2 seconds of one another pulled in front of my car on a major highway while I was IN THE EXIT RAMP. As in, not the exit lane.. as in the exit has been happening and you need to travel a good 10 feet to get in front of me. Two. Cars. Black, tinted windows. Shady business.

Then five minutes later when I'm on a major road (not a highway, but still, a pretty major road with a lot of traffic and tons of lights) a car pulls out in front of my car. He (because I saw the jackass later) was in a shopping center and pulled into traffic when I'm going 50 mph about 30 feet (maybe) in front of my car. Need I remind you THAT IT IS RAINING. NOT SPRINKLING, RAINING. There is no traffic light. It is clearly my right of way. I proceed to lean on my horn. He's completely unaware that he did anything wrong. Asshole. When I passed him later (he was stopped at a light, I was exiting into the mall since I was on my way to work) I had half a mind to flip him off.. because I am that guy. But I didn't.

This morning, I had someone pull out in front of me (again) and then later, I'm stopped at a light. The light turns green. I happen to look in my rearview mirror and there's a van going at least 50 mph towards my car (the speed limit is 35) and is not slowing down at all. They are maybe 40 feet away. I had to gun it through the light or else they were going to plow into the back of the car I'm driving today.

Seriously. What is with other drivers? I know that I'm a really good driver. I might yell at other cars and flip them off, but I never let that affect how I drive. I'm very conscience about what's going on around me, and I guess that's why I haven't really had a major accident until last month. And there was nothing I could have done to stop that one. I started breaking before he even turned in front of my car... if I hadn't had good intuition, I would probably be dead. Or at least have a broken face and broken ribs, if not more. But I still have trust issues on the road. I'm the last person these people want to pull in front of! When the third car pulled in front of me on Sunday, I lost my shit for a little while... because I thought "what the hell are we going to do if I'm in another accident?" We can't afford to have no car. It's bad enough having only one car.

Open Letters (yeah yeah..)

After a number of Open Letters from Fidgeting Gidget I decided it was time to have some open letters of my own.

Dear Grey's Anatomy,

Please don't suck tonight. I've been with you since the first day. When I first saw the promo and saw that Katherine Heigl (I know she's kind of a crazy person, but I LOVED Roswell) and Sandra Oh (I want to be her) in the same show, I died a little. And I've been a fiercely loyal fan ever since. But you really need to redeem yourself after season 3.

A big fan,
The Recovering Actor


Dear Hair,

You've been screwed up since last year when a curly hair "expert" decided it would be a good idea to RAZOR CUT MY CURLY HAIR. It wasn't a good idea. You still haven't been the same. But you're getting cut today, and I'd appreciate it if you would just cooperate for Linda.

Thanks,
The Recovering Actor


Dear Brad Lidge,

Knock it the hell off. Blow one more game... and you're dead to me. If we lose it this year, the Phillies will have you to thank for it.

As always,
The Recovering Actor.


Dear Bridesmaids Dress,

You're almost done. And so far so good. I would really appreciate it if you would continue to be a team player so that I don't have a panic attach 3 weeks before the wedding.

Sincerely,
The Recovering Actor


Dear October 3,

I'm really worried that you're going to be the worst day ever and that I'm going to leave work in a sobbing hysterical mess. Please don't be a sucky day. I'm not asking for you to be the best day ever, just don't make me cry.

Sincerely,
Begging and Pleading Recovering Actor

This Diva Needs Her Stage!

There's another audition happening tonight that I'm not participating in, and it's making me a little sad. A local (non-paying) theatre around here got the rights for Rent. And I can sing the shit out of that show. I'd kiss girls. I'm okay with that. It's art.

But if I auditioned, I'd have to stop working at ULTA for a while.. and I need my ULTA job. I'd be able to work Sundays, but I'd have to go from an 8 hour ULTA day to rehearsal until 11. And I know Gene would be ultra cranky if I did rehearsal 4 days a week. Especially if it was for Rent... he hates that show.

I ran into my friend's husband at Einstein Bagels this morning, and he's currently directing The Producers at the same theatre. He's been trying to get me to audition all year... and so has his wife. And I want to! I really do! But I have a few reservations.

A of all... I haven't acted in a long time. Yes, I did the fringe show last year, but I wasn't onstage all that much, and it wasn't musical theatre.

B of all... because of the car accident, I don't know how I would be with dancing. It might hurt a whole hell of a lot.

C of all... leaving ULTA. I need ULTA to, oh, pay my bills? And I don't know how it would be with taking all that time off. We'd have to see. Granted, I don't have a car payment anymore since my car was smashed to little bits, but still. Christmas is coming up, and I need all the extra money I can get.

Can I Be Done Now?

It's been a little over a month since my car accident.. and I'm starting to get annoyed. I have no car. My car that was totalled is still not paid off even after the insurance. I have nothing to put down on a new car. And I'm still having back pain. In fact, today it's really bad.

And the whole thing wasn't my damn fault in the first place.

I am grateful. I know that things could have been worse. I could have very easily broken bones (which I have never done) or even been killed. So I was lucky there. And so was the other guy. But it's still annoying. It's annoying that I have to be at work 30 minutes early every day because I have to take Gene to work. It's annoying that we have to make all of our plans based on whether both of us can go, since we only have one car. It's annoying that on days when I don't drive Gene to work, and a friend takes me in... that I don't have a car to get lunch, and therefore don't eat lunch on those days.

I have a car today, which is good I suppose. I'm just looking forward to the day where we each have a car again, and we're done with the bullshit. And because I've been here 30 minutes early, I can run errands during my lunch hour and take a bit longer. Like on Tuesday, I drove to a hospital that's 20 minutes away to see my cousin and her newborn baby boy (who has the. most. hair. ever.) just hours after he was born. I wouldn't have been able to do that on a regular work schedule. My cousin and I are also very close. I know there are some who aren't close with their extended family... but this cousin and I are super duper close. She's the one who's getting married next month (oh yeah... 3 weeks after giving birth, this chick is getting freaking married. Because she's insane) and I'm making my bridesmaids dress for. (it still isn't done by the way... the BODICE is finished. Lining and all! But that's it. It looks good so far! I think...

Procrastination Station

I have four weeks until my cousin's wedding. You know. The one I decided it would be a great idea to make the dress for because it would be less expensive? Wanna know how far I am?

I have three pieces sewn together. That's not even the full bodice. Well, it's the full bodice in FABRIC. I just need to add lining. In fact, I didn't buy any lining at first because I bought the fabric in a non-pay week and was only getting the bare minimum. And of course they want me to attach the lining NOW for the bodice. BAH. So now during lunch today (because I don't have time after work... especially because of where the fabric store is--it would take me twice as long to drive there after work than it would at 11am) I need to drive 45 minutes to get this fabric and drive back. That's going to be my entire lunch. but I have been getting to work a half hour earlier and not leaving early, so it comes out in the wash I think.

I'm just so terrified that I won't get this thing done. I was planning on using my Saturdays (I have three left) to work on the dress. This Saturday? I'm working at ULTA for 8 hours in the middle of the day. Next Saturday? I'm probably working again. And the following Saturday? That's crazy Bare Escentuals day. So I don't know what I'm going to do. And of course on Sundays... I'm working at ULTA also. (which means I have four weeks of no day off at all. Not fun.)

I smell a couple of late nights. Good thing I still have last week's 90210 and Melrose Place to watch (yes. yes I do watch them. I love 90210, ok? And I loved Melrose Place so I'm giving the new one 3 episodes)

At least my skills are being recognized. Someone at work commented on a sweater I was wearing (that I made) and now she wants to hire me to make one for her. AH! I've never done that. And I haven't decided if I'm going to or not. A lot of times when people hear my price, they back out. Non-knitters I find don't understand the time that's put in. They expect to pay $20 for a handknit sweater, when in actuality it's a lot closer to $100. It's cost of yarn + cost of time... and it takes a while to make a sweater.

Rain.. go away. No seriously, go away.

First... I got off of ULTA for today so I can go to the game (yay!)

That being said. The reason for the game today is because I was already rained out of a Phillies-Nationals game at Nationals Park back in June. This game is the make up from the rainout in June. And what does the forecast say? 100% chance of rain for Washington DC Thursday evening. 100% chance of rain.

PLEASE. Just please. I've never been to a ball park outside of Philadelphia. I really want to see my silly Phillies at another ball park. I really want to go to Nationals Park. Every time (ok, one other time, but it was the only time) I come to DC to see a ball game...it rains. I know the forecast sucks. But change it. Please.

I saw a rainbow on my way to work this morning. That's supposed to be good luck!! And if I called off of ULTA and took a half day from work for no reason, I'm not going to be a very happy girl whatsoever. And I love my friends that we're going to see, but I don't want to drive three hours to have dinner with them in Baltimore. Again. We've already decided that if it looks like it's going to be an inevitable rainout... we are staying put. I don't want to stay put. I want to go to DC goddamnit and see a damn baseball game. So, Rain, stay up in the clouds. If I see you... I might hurt you.

Four places at once

That's how I've been feeling lately. My schedule/social life has been so busy lately that I don't know whether I'm coming or going. Sundays I work at ULTA. Mondays I go to a coffee shop bistro place and knit with a group of wonderful ladies. Tuesdays I play Quizzo (it's so much fun!). Wednesdays I work at ULTA. Thursdays I don't do anything. Fridays I go out with Sara. Saturdays I reserve for poker.

This Thursday, we have tickets to see the Phillies play in DC. We tried to go at the beginning of the season, and Gene and I drove about 3 hours to DC... pulled into the Metro Station to take the train to downtown DC... AND THE GAME WAS CANCELLED. It had been raining all day, and it was miserable, but we didn't want to not drive and then have the game play. We were going with friends who live in the Baltimore area, so we drove to their house and had chicken for dinner and ended up having a lovely evening (we watched the Flyers lose on TV instead)

At ULTA, my availability is Wednesdays or Thursdays... and generally they schedule me on Wednesdays they ALWAYS schedule me on Wednesdays. Except this week. Since I've never been scheduled on a Thursday before, I didn't think to request off. And they scheduled me to work. Which I didn't realize until last night. So today I need to go plead to have my schedule changed to Wednesday. BAH! I don't know what we're going to do if I can't get off... we've had these tickets since MAY!

And then on FRIDAY I'm going to see my wonderful friend Natalie's play at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. It's going to be awesome. But that's something every day this week. And then Saturday I work at ULTA again! (I usually don't work on Saturdays, but we're having a big "beauty" event, so I'm going to have to work on Saturdays until it's all over)

In the middle of all of this, I still have to start make my bridesmaids dress for my cousin's wedding WHICH IS NEXT MONTH!

All of this is also leading up to the BIG ULTA DAY on October 3... when the creator of Bare Escentuals is gracing us with her presence. Also on that day? My friend's film debuts in our city's fringe festival (i'm his publicist. see? i'm publicising it now), my best friend wants me to do this wine tour of the Brandywine Valley, and my college is having a 40th anniversary of our Theatre. And someone else just asked me to do something else on that day... but I can't remember what it was. But still! That's a lot of stuff on one day! I need to clone myself... or get my hands on Hermione's Time Turner from Harry Potter.

My baby sister is all growed up...

My little sister is in college. My sister who is still about 11 in my head, because that's how old she was when I left for college, is living in a dorm room with college friends and having college experiences.

When did that happen?

And also... when did the TV dorms (you know that when Rory Gilmore went to college, your first thought was: dorm rooms SO do not look like that) become actuality? At my college, we had what we called suitemates. As in, I had my roommate... and across the bathroom was my suitemate. There was only one dorm that had a community bathroom... all of the other bathrooms in every dorm were shared between two rooms. My sister oh so gracefully informed me that what I lived in was NOT a suite. Her room, however, is. She has a roommate.. and two suitemates. You go into one room, and you're in a common area which also has the bathroom. Off of the common room are the two bedrooms. Not dissimilar to the dorms in Saved By The Bell: The College Years. In fact, that's exactly what it looks like in my head. It probably doesn't look quite like that, but the set up is the same.

Baby sis is a theatre major (like me... despite spending her entire adolescent life trying NOT to be like me) and she has her very first call back!! Tonight. She calls me two days ago at like 11 at night and says "I have an audition tomorrow morning, and I need a monologue and a song." Well.. you should probably do one you already know.. "I know, but I don't know where they are, so you need to email them to me." I really do love my sister, but this child is so disorganized. It cracks me up.

I made the decision that I'm going to give her all of my plays and books about acting. Because really? I'm not going to use them anymore. I don't have any time in my life for theatre, unfortunately, and when I do have the time for theatre... all of the monologues that I have in my "back pocket" at the moment with the age range 15-19 will be too young. Someone might as well get good use out of my stuff.

But for my sister's good luck... I asked all of the theatre "gods" I know... Bacchus, Dionysus, the Bard, Thespis, Carol Channing... to smile upon her and have her first callback go well. It's for a dead girl. Who says obscene things, and is kind of a slut. She's typecast a lot. :)