Wow. Not one single post during the month of February!

I guess that tells you just how busy (day job/freelance work), distracted (apparently the mindset for my 41st year) and stressed out (car repairs/travel worries/pissing people off) I have been.

The year of monetary woes continues. When the Beetle got repaired from the ignition coil issues, the mechanic noticed what bad shape my timing belt was in. So that got replaced at a nice little price of $760. I traveled up to Michigan to visit the boyfriend and on the way back the entire front grill (even the fog lights!) of the Beetle got destroyed by a large piece of road debris outside Dayton, Ohio. For the last few weeks I have been dealing with insurance and trying to get the car fixed ($100 deductible). Add in buying more heating oil (plus the previous car repair and tooth pull) and I have had one expensive winter.

I know … whine, whine, whine.

I would be less fussy if there had been more snow this winter! Maybe I need to move to Maine.

The theater has a fundraising campaign going to build a second stage and so my couple of months down time from extra work were non-existent this winter. I had a monster “Case for Support” brochure to do that took a lot of time to get right. Good thing is that the professional fundraiser said it’s one of the best he has seen. So, it looks like I might get some more work off him for similar items. That will be good so I can continue funding my ever returning record obsession.

Alrighty. That’s the updating update for those of you who are still hanging around. Hopefully I won’t disappear for another month.

Just to gross everyone out … here’s a picture of the wisdom tooth that was yanked out of my head a week and a half ago. Check the size of that cavity!

Hello everyone and welcome to 2013! It’s started off being a wee crappy.

New Year’s Eve was pretty fun (thanks to Mom for hosting). But I got too drunk and spent the next two days recovering. I guess that is one of the joys of getting much older.

I still have my wisdom teeth. Back before Christmas, at a routine cleaning, a massive cavity was discovered in one. Having it pulled was the best option … which I get to endure this coming Thursday.
Monster Head X-Ray and Tooth Extraction: $364

Then this past Sunday, my car started acting up. Turns out one of the ignition coils had died meaning I was running three instead of four cylinders. Not good.
Parts and Labor: $205

Total So Far for 2013: $569 + 1 Hangover

This wee, little neglected blog rolled into it’s tenth year on November 22nd. It’s my 10th Anniversary … and I missed it!!!

When I started this in 2002 I never would have dreamed that it would last this long. At the time, I was a sad and depressed fellow in need of some distraction … and attention from the internet. It was a good decision. Over the years, I have become friends with some really cool people (just to link a few) that I never would have gotten the chance to meet otherwise.

Over the past years, social media has certainly put a crimp in my personal blogging (Facebook being the main culprit). I will continue to update things here and see if this thing lasts another ten years.

So, it’s been a little over  a month since I got the cell phone (iPhone!). I was expecting it would take me more time to get used to being tethered to it … but the iPhone has fit right in. I know it’s probably silly to be thinking that it would have been a big adjustment to have one. Really the biggest thing to get used to is that $100 going out of my bank account every month. Having mobile internet has been super handy. Texting is super convenient … who knew? Now someone just needs to sext me and my smart phone experience will be complete. [Kidding!]

I got new glasses this week! I am officially an old fart as the optometrist prescribed me bifocals. I am liking the frames better than my last pair (picture soon) …. but the progressive bifocal lenses are really taking some getting used to. Trying to find the right spot to look through to get focus for various distances is pesky. Also, if you pan your head quickly there’s the weird kind of “fish-eye” effect to things. At least I can see close up things again. [Yay!]

And … the boyfriend is now living in Michigan. It was known from the start that when he graduated from the Masters program at WCU that he would be going off to a Ph.D. program. So, he’s in Michigan (Central Michigan University) for fours years and then *somewhere* for a year internship. We’re doing the “long distance” thing but it’s been a weird two and half months adjusting to not having him close by. [Sad Face!]

After years and years and years and years and years or being anti-cell phone … I finally got one! Of course I had to go with an iPhone. I ended up with a fairly cheap iPhone 4S since the iPhone 5 has hit the market. Who knew that having mobile communication could be so handy? And texting … super convenient!

Here’s my pass at art for Tracy Lett’s “August: Osage County.” I really liked it at first … but now I am not so sure that it works. I guess it’s a moot point considering it’s at the printers. Oh well.

Where does the time go? Another month of no posts!!! It doesn’t seem like it’s been a month because I have been a little too busy.

Some things that have recently happened:
– “The Light in the Piazza” opened on October 5 and we finish up the run this weekend.
– Several weekend hikes have occurred. Always nice to get out in the woods.
– I turned 41 (with very little fanfare … but some nice presents from the boyfriend).
– I joined the 21st century and actually got a smartphone (iPhone, of course).
– The tires on my car got rotated (I did it myself!).
– I cleaned house … you know, actually vacuumed and mopped and stuff.
– Took a break from reading “Clash of Kings” re-read Stephen King’s “Carrie.”
– Didn’t audition for a show I really wanted to be in. Glad I made that decision.
– Probably gossiped more than I should about friends and their troubles.
– Bought heating oil.
– I committed to directing “Avenue Q” next year.
– Cried all the way through an episode of “Downton Abbey.”
– Still buying way too many movies on DVD/Blu-ray. I need an intervention.
– Been crazy busy with theater design work. It’s that time of year.

See how boring and mundane things have been here. … though it doesn’t mean that I need to stay away for another month. Hope you folks that are actually still reading this are doing well.