Hello all. It has been quite some time since I took pen to paper (so to speak) and gave you all an insight into my life. Sorry about that but I have been extremely busy. Since my last post I have won two acting awards at my local community theater. Interviewed and not gotten a promotion at work. Been asked to help facilitate with the person who did get the job for the next 12 weeks or so. Helped out backstage in an assistant Stage Managerial role in my local community theaters latest production, and have started production meetings for my own directorial debut in February. Suffice it to say, I am freakin' tired. But very satisfied with how my life is going at this point.
'Til we meet again.
Paul
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Good-Bye Old Friend...
The last few weeks have reminded us of the shortness of life. With the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and now Billy Mays, the consciousness of America has turned once again to our own mortality, and the futility of trying to escape it. What you won’t hear about in the news, on the radio, or in the newspaper is the passing of someone else. A person who lived an unremarkable life by conventional standards, but to those who knew and loved him, he was a most remarkable man.
Leslie Richards was by all accounts an interesting person, loving, devoted, and for lack of a better term, strange. In this world everyone has a drum that they march to. Leslie’s was the quintessential different one. I first met him during rehearsals for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and did not quite know what to make of this funny man with a big voice and a huge stage presence. He was a monster on stage, yet seemed fragile off. He had a big heart and a good sense of humor, but was extremely guarded. Looking back on it now it’s not hard to understand why but at the time he was, to say the least, an enigma.
Unfortunately, because of this Leslie made many bad first impressions. Fortunately once a person really got to know him those impressions were discarded. But because of them he was also misunderstood. He was opinionated and passionate about those things that meant the most to him, namely his views on his faith and family, yet was not above laughing at a well told off color joke. He was a smart-ass sonofabitch who would burn you without you even knowing it. He was subtle in his humor, yet retained a childlike innocence about him that was both endearing and infuriating. His laugh was infectious and his smile warming. He seldom complained about anything.
Yet he had a lot to complain about. His health had never been great. In the short time that I knew him he was admitted to the hospital three times. He was in constant pain and did his best to hide it. Knowing now some of the things that I know about his health problems it is surprising to me that he was able to carry on as well as he did.
I was blessed to work with him on four shows, including what I consider to be his masterpiece, “Veronica’s Room”. In this show he played the illegitimate, incest born, necrophiliac love child of mine and my good friend Jeanine Martin’s characters. As you can imagine this type of role is one that anyone would find uncomfortable with, and this was more than uncomfortable for him. However as with any role that a talented and committed actor is presented with, Leslie overcame his reservations about it and put in a performance that was revolting, touching, and tragic all at once. Those of us involved in that show formed a special bond that has now lost one of its strongest links.
There are few people in this world that can intimidate me by there sheer size but he was one of them. Not that I was afraid of him, nor that I thought he would ever do me harm, but he carried himself, with a quiet nobility that, combined with his physical stature, cut an imposing form. Yet he was one of the most approachable people I have ever known. And the man could sing. His beautiful tenor voice rang with passion, and longing that left me in awe every time I heard it.
There really is not much more that I can say about him. Except that this tragedy is compounded in my heart by two things. First he was too young to go. Leslie was not even out of his 30's when god finished his heavenly mansion and gave him the keys. Second that those in the world outside of this little circle of it that he called home, will never know just what they had and what they have lost.
...And Thank you.
Leslie Jacob Richards
1972 - 2009
Til' We Meet Again
Paul
Leslie Richards was by all accounts an interesting person, loving, devoted, and for lack of a better term, strange. In this world everyone has a drum that they march to. Leslie’s was the quintessential different one. I first met him during rehearsals for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and did not quite know what to make of this funny man with a big voice and a huge stage presence. He was a monster on stage, yet seemed fragile off. He had a big heart and a good sense of humor, but was extremely guarded. Looking back on it now it’s not hard to understand why but at the time he was, to say the least, an enigma.
Unfortunately, because of this Leslie made many bad first impressions. Fortunately once a person really got to know him those impressions were discarded. But because of them he was also misunderstood. He was opinionated and passionate about those things that meant the most to him, namely his views on his faith and family, yet was not above laughing at a well told off color joke. He was a smart-ass sonofabitch who would burn you without you even knowing it. He was subtle in his humor, yet retained a childlike innocence about him that was both endearing and infuriating. His laugh was infectious and his smile warming. He seldom complained about anything.
Yet he had a lot to complain about. His health had never been great. In the short time that I knew him he was admitted to the hospital three times. He was in constant pain and did his best to hide it. Knowing now some of the things that I know about his health problems it is surprising to me that he was able to carry on as well as he did.
I was blessed to work with him on four shows, including what I consider to be his masterpiece, “Veronica’s Room”. In this show he played the illegitimate, incest born, necrophiliac love child of mine and my good friend Jeanine Martin’s characters. As you can imagine this type of role is one that anyone would find uncomfortable with, and this was more than uncomfortable for him. However as with any role that a talented and committed actor is presented with, Leslie overcame his reservations about it and put in a performance that was revolting, touching, and tragic all at once. Those of us involved in that show formed a special bond that has now lost one of its strongest links.
There are few people in this world that can intimidate me by there sheer size but he was one of them. Not that I was afraid of him, nor that I thought he would ever do me harm, but he carried himself, with a quiet nobility that, combined with his physical stature, cut an imposing form. Yet he was one of the most approachable people I have ever known. And the man could sing. His beautiful tenor voice rang with passion, and longing that left me in awe every time I heard it.
There really is not much more that I can say about him. Except that this tragedy is compounded in my heart by two things. First he was too young to go. Leslie was not even out of his 30's when god finished his heavenly mansion and gave him the keys. Second that those in the world outside of this little circle of it that he called home, will never know just what they had and what they have lost.
...And Thank you.
Leslie Jacob Richards
1972 - 2009
Til' We Meet Again
Paul
Monday, May 25, 2009
An Epic Experience
So this weekend saw the end of another play, and I have a few things that I want to say and a couple of pictures to share.
First off Epic Proportions is the stage equivalent to movies such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. It is a stupid, predictable, laugh out loud riot of a show that I was both fortunate and unlucky enough to be a part of. This show gave me the chance to do something that I never get to do, be the funny man.
Usually in comedies I play the straight man. This is a combination of both my acting style, which tends to be understated and subtle, and my natural sense of humor. Those who know me can testify that I am nothing if not a smart-ass. But I was given the wonderful gift by our director and my good friend Peter Clapsis, to step outside myself and truly be wacky, zany, and funny. Looking back it was something that I will always cherish because I got the chance to really stretch myself as both and actor and a person. So to Peter I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To my fellow cast mates, I took something away from each and everyone of you that I will hold dear for the rest of my life. Chris, in you I found a kindred spirit who I both respect as an actor and was awed in watching. Jess, I have seen you blossom a lot from the young actress that I met during Veronica's Room. Your sense of urgency and professionalism were an inspiration to me, and your legs ain't half-bad either :p. Juan you are one of the few people whom I have met who not only has a passion for theater equal to mine but also a love of life and questioning of the status-quo. Michael, I have known you for a few years now and I must say that if I did not my life would be less interesting than it is. Lezlee, not only are you extremely talented in dance and acting, but you have a love for life that is inspiring to see. Dalton I have marvelled at your talent for several years and feel as though I was blessed with a glimpse at a true master at work. Mitch, in you I have found a brother. I have only known you for a very short while but feel as though we have lived a lifetime of friendship. Cheryl and Jeanine, you both raise me up to a higher level of consciousness. Barbara, Linda, Carol, and Lauren, I feel truly blessed by God to know you and look forward to being friends for many years to come.
That's pretty much all I have left to say. So I will let the pictures say the rest.
'Til we meet again
Paul
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Crazy Uncle. Every Family Has One.
I was going to make this post a recap of the day my niece was born, but I don't think I could say it any better than my brother already has. Maybe write it better but not say it better. Check out this link if you are interested.
http://www.dutchgirl-irishguy.com/
Then go to the link Grand Rapids has a Skyline.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Much Ado about Awesome!
This weekend marked another milestone in my dramatic endeavours. It was my first time doing a legitimate version of one of Shakespeare's works. Before now the closest I ever got to the "Bard of Stratford on Avon" was in "Kiss Me Kate" which is a musical retelling of "The Taming of the Shrew".
It was an experience that I will never forget. But to truly understand what this weekend meant to me it must be put into perspective. First, if you have ever read Shakespeare then you know how difficult it is. Now imagine sitting down for your first read through with a group of actors you have never met before aside from the director, and reading lines like these.
"Then is courtesy a turncoat, but it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted, and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart for truly I love none."
Or...
"Sir I will meet your wit in the career, and you charge it against me, I pray you choose another subject."
or my personal favorite...
"Against my will I am sent to bid you come to dinner. There's double meaning in that. I took no more pain for those thanks than you took pains to thank me. That's as good as saying any pain you take for me is as good as thanks, if I don't take pity on the lady I am a villain."
Yes it was enough to make my head spin. How in the hell was I going to be able to successfully pull this off. It was very daunting doubly because I was picked to portray Benedick, the male lead. It was most interesting because for weeks I couldn't get through the majority of my lines without tripping over my tongue every third word.
Slowly but surely however, and with the help of some very good friends and talented castmates, I finally was able to get a grip on the meaning of the lines and by extension how they should be said. We put in alot of time and were able to put on a very compelling and entertaining show that will be remembered by all who were apart of it for many years to come. To my castmates I extend my everlasting thanks and congratulations for a job well done and for making me look good on stage as Benedick. There is no way I could have done it without you all.
'Till we meet again,
Paul
It was an experience that I will never forget. But to truly understand what this weekend meant to me it must be put into perspective. First, if you have ever read Shakespeare then you know how difficult it is. Now imagine sitting down for your first read through with a group of actors you have never met before aside from the director, and reading lines like these.
"Then is courtesy a turncoat, but it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted, and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart for truly I love none."
Or...
"Sir I will meet your wit in the career, and you charge it against me, I pray you choose another subject."
or my personal favorite...
"Against my will I am sent to bid you come to dinner. There's double meaning in that. I took no more pain for those thanks than you took pains to thank me. That's as good as saying any pain you take for me is as good as thanks, if I don't take pity on the lady I am a villain."
Yes it was enough to make my head spin. How in the hell was I going to be able to successfully pull this off. It was very daunting doubly because I was picked to portray Benedick, the male lead. It was most interesting because for weeks I couldn't get through the majority of my lines without tripping over my tongue every third word.
Slowly but surely however, and with the help of some very good friends and talented castmates, I finally was able to get a grip on the meaning of the lines and by extension how they should be said. We put in alot of time and were able to put on a very compelling and entertaining show that will be remembered by all who were apart of it for many years to come. To my castmates I extend my everlasting thanks and congratulations for a job well done and for making me look good on stage as Benedick. There is no way I could have done it without you all.
'Till we meet again,
Paul
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Melancholy Baby.
I would like to start this blog post with a thank you to a very special friend of mine who has a true gift for listening. A couple of weeks ago I fell into one of my bouts of melancholy over the fact that I am a 28 year old single man who lives in a town with no apparent romantic options because the average age of the members of the opposite sex is dead. But seriously, those of you who know me can vouch for the fact that for the most part I am a person who enjoys life and is always there to give an encouraging word, laugh with a well told joke, or generally be a good friend. And though I am a confessed realist, I would say that I lean to the side of optimism instead of pessimism.
However, every now and then I look around me and see my friends with their spouses, or girlfriends and wonder to myself, why not me? It depresses me to think that I am a person with a lot of love to give and no one to give it to. Now I love my friends and I am very liberal with the love I have for them but that is a different kind of love. I want to know the kind of love that exists between two people who have become one. The kind that I see when my parents or grandparents look at each other.
The platitudes of it will happen when it happens sound more hollow to me the older that I get and it gets extremely frustrating because for all my bluster and realistic philosophy the truth of the matter is, I am a hopeless romantic at heart. I know that I am probably making more out of this than there actually is but this is how I feel sometimes, and I am not one who usually verbalizes feelings like this because of my masculine conditioning of internalizing such feelings.
Anyway I really just needed to vent. To my good friend again I say thank you for being able to listen to me when I do externalize these feelings and to all my other friends who read this blog, I am sorry I have not trusted you enough to tell you these things before. Hopefully you won't think less of me.
'Til we meet again.
Paul
However, every now and then I look around me and see my friends with their spouses, or girlfriends and wonder to myself, why not me? It depresses me to think that I am a person with a lot of love to give and no one to give it to. Now I love my friends and I am very liberal with the love I have for them but that is a different kind of love. I want to know the kind of love that exists between two people who have become one. The kind that I see when my parents or grandparents look at each other.
The platitudes of it will happen when it happens sound more hollow to me the older that I get and it gets extremely frustrating because for all my bluster and realistic philosophy the truth of the matter is, I am a hopeless romantic at heart. I know that I am probably making more out of this than there actually is but this is how I feel sometimes, and I am not one who usually verbalizes feelings like this because of my masculine conditioning of internalizing such feelings.
Anyway I really just needed to vent. To my good friend again I say thank you for being able to listen to me when I do externalize these feelings and to all my other friends who read this blog, I am sorry I have not trusted you enough to tell you these things before. Hopefully you won't think less of me.
'Til we meet again.
Paul
Monday, March 9, 2009
An evening with the King.
This past weekend I went to see Roger's and Hammerstein's classic musical "The King and I", which was playing at my local community theater. Now some of you may be asking yourselves why, because some of you know that I have an unbiased hatred for that show. The answer to that question is that I have a very good friend who was playing the King, who stepped in on short notice and needed the support of his friends. That being said I now know why I do not like this show.
I first developed a dislike for this show as a little (yes I was little at one time) boy when my sister would watch the movie starring Yul Brenner with some regularity. I really think it was the song "Getting to Know You" that did it for me, to this day I cannot hear that song and not cringe. But after a few years I began to reevaluate my dislike for the show and try to give it a fair shake. After all there have been many movies that I could not stand as a child that I have grown to love in my adult life, The Wizard of Oz is one that immediately springs to mind. However no matter how many times I watched it with an objective eye there was always something that grated on me about it and I never could figure it out.
This weekend however I think I know. The show is very uneven. You have arguably one of the most dynamic characters in theater in The King, surrounded by a group of under defined characters that no matter how good of actors you have to play them are always coming up short. Now before you get angry at me and misconstrue my words, I am not saying that the only person I saw that did a fantastic job on Friday was my friend the King. I have many friends in that show and I was astounded by how good some of them were. I never before realized just how good a singing voice Lady Thiang or Lun Tha had until I saw them this weekend.
What I am saying is that no matter how good they are, the characters they are playing are so underdeveloped it is painful. There is a whole story in and of itself for the Lun Tha/Tuptim relationship. Now I know that the show is about the relationship between Anna and the King, and all others are support, but it just seems to me that with a little bit of tweaking in other areas of the show it could be so much more than it is.
Anyway I have probably made no end of enemies by this post but I felt that these were things I needed to say.
'Til we meet again
Paul
P.S. A word of advice. Never play Clue with lawyers.
I first developed a dislike for this show as a little (yes I was little at one time) boy when my sister would watch the movie starring Yul Brenner with some regularity. I really think it was the song "Getting to Know You" that did it for me, to this day I cannot hear that song and not cringe. But after a few years I began to reevaluate my dislike for the show and try to give it a fair shake. After all there have been many movies that I could not stand as a child that I have grown to love in my adult life, The Wizard of Oz is one that immediately springs to mind. However no matter how many times I watched it with an objective eye there was always something that grated on me about it and I never could figure it out.
This weekend however I think I know. The show is very uneven. You have arguably one of the most dynamic characters in theater in The King, surrounded by a group of under defined characters that no matter how good of actors you have to play them are always coming up short. Now before you get angry at me and misconstrue my words, I am not saying that the only person I saw that did a fantastic job on Friday was my friend the King. I have many friends in that show and I was astounded by how good some of them were. I never before realized just how good a singing voice Lady Thiang or Lun Tha had until I saw them this weekend.
What I am saying is that no matter how good they are, the characters they are playing are so underdeveloped it is painful. There is a whole story in and of itself for the Lun Tha/Tuptim relationship. Now I know that the show is about the relationship between Anna and the King, and all others are support, but it just seems to me that with a little bit of tweaking in other areas of the show it could be so much more than it is.
Anyway I have probably made no end of enemies by this post but I felt that these were things I needed to say.
'Til we meet again
Paul
P.S. A word of advice. Never play Clue with lawyers.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Well Deserved but tainted.
So the Oscar's were last night and big surprise Heath Ledger won posthumously for his portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime from Last year's The Dark Knight. I would like to take this time to convey my congratulations to Mr. Ledger's family and friends and say that it is an award well deserved.
However I would be remiss in this post if I did not point out the obvious hypocrisy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. What hypocrisy you ask? Well I am a firm believer that the voting of the Academy members was based less on the actual performance of Mr. Ledger and more on the fact that he died tragically a couple of months before the film hit the theaters.
Now before you get all upset and start yelling at me, I am not saying that Heath Ledger does not deserve this award. What I am saying is that if he had not died, there is no way in hell he would have won. And that is the hypocrisy I am speaking of. I saw a good deal of movies last year and I can say without a doubt in my mind that Ledger had the best acted, most fully realized, and most dynamic character of any movie last year. His performance is doubly impressive when you consider what he was up against. The Joker is by far the most recognized villain in comic book history. He has had the good fortune to be portrayed by some of the most distinguished live and voice actors our generation has ever known. As such everyone who knows the character has there own interpretation of how he should be played. From Cesar Romero's campy clown, to Nicholson's dark gangster, to Hamill's zany Daffy Duck-esque voice work, it seems almost impossible to bring something new and fresh to this character. Not only did he do it, but he put this icon of evil into a new realistic light that has never been seen before.
This and this alone should have been the basis for the voting this year. However, it never would have happened if he were still alive. This has nothing to do with Ledger and everything to do with Hollywood. It hates Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Comic Book movies. This is best illustrated by the 1978 awards in which Star Wars, the movie which had the biggest impact, was snubbed in all major categories for other winners. It, like it's predecessors and successor's was relegated to the technical categories like visual effects and such.
In the last 50 years only one film has ever won any Oscar's for any of the main categories, that being The Lord of the Rings: Return of The King, but this is the exception that proves the rule. I suppose I should not be surprised, seeing as how the whole thing is really a popularity contest and not one of validity. It just makes me mad that it takes something like a tragic death to bring a modicum of respectability to a genre of storytelling that just about everyone enjoys.
Anyway that's enough for this rant.
Til' we meet again.
Paul
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
28 things about me.
Hello all. For those of you who know me you know that today is my birthday. So I thought I would let everyone get to know me a little bit better by answering a few questions.
1. Dream Car- Aston Martin DBS
2. Favorite Book- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
3. Dream Vacation- Worldwide Theme Park tour followed by a tour of all Major League Baseball Stadiums
4. Favorite Obscure Movie- Life as a House.
5. Favorite Movie Quote- "Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to believe in the most: that people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; that love, true love, never dies... No matter if they're true or not, a man should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in." -Secondhand Lions
6. Aside from my acting, my greatest catharsis comes from my writing.
7. Contrary to popular belief, theater is not my first love. That place belongs to Baseball. Every spring I miss being able to play more than anything.
8. My brother and I used to get mistaken for each other all the time. Once, while we were working at the same grocery store, we both dressed up as gangsters for Halloween. I got called up to the front to bag, but my brother told me he would do it because he wanted to see how long it would take them to realize it was him and not me. The answer.......45 minutes.
9. Probably the greatest irony of my life to date is the fact that between my brother and me, I was always the inferior athlete, but I was on a State Champion Wrestling team, a two time conference winning football team and the first Baseball team to win any trophy of any kind for our school in like 25 years. He on the other hand was always on teams that were inferior to his own abilities.
10. I was born with a collapsed lung.
11. I am not a sports nut. For the most part I follow sports with passing interest. I know enough to be able to hold conversations and to know what is going on. I follow the big sporting events of the year, i.e. The Masters, The Superbowl, Daytona etc..... However when UGA football is on I become a raving lunatic. It is actually quite funny.
12. My perfect year in sports would consist of. Georgia winning the BCS championship, Atlanta winning the Super Bowl, Tiger completing the Grand Slam, Dale Jr winning the Nextel Cup, and Atlanta winning the World Series.
13. If I could only watch 5 movies for the rest of my life they would be. Star Wars (OT), Casablanca, The Godfather, Lonesome Dove, and The LOTR.
14. Favorite Dog- UGA
15. The people I most admire- My Parents and my Grandaddy.
16. My dream job- Paid Rollercoaster rider.
17. Favorite historical figure- Jesus Christ. Even if you don't believe in him as the son of God you have to admit he had a wonderful philosophy on life.
18. Favorite Quote- "Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." -G.K. Chesterton
19. Favorite Chuck Norris Fact- While urinating, Chuck Norris is easily capable of welding titanium.
20. My inner circle- J9, love ya babe, Pete, he's da man, The Dwyer, although have not heard from him in a while.
21. I often feel as though I was born in the wrong period in time. I feel more at home dressed as a Medieval Knight, or a 1930's newspaper reporter than in my normal street clothes.
22. My biggest fear- Snakes. Hate them.
23. My birthday wish- That my parents can get away for a few days and escape the financial state that we are in right now. They are both so weary of penny pinching, I wish that I could send them on a weekend retreat or something.
24. Places I would most like to visit- Scotland, Ireland, Australia, The Grand Canyon, Montana
25. I am expecting the birth of my very first niece. I can't wait to be the crazy uncle.
26. I am a fan of music. I love harmony, dissonance, and the magic of hearing it all come together. That's probably why I don't listen to much Pop music.
27. I still have many movies from my childhood that I will watch again and again.
28. I am beginning to regret the fact that I got an XBOX for Christmas. This not getting to sleep until midnight is killing me.
Well that's it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did in creating it. If not, then I really don't care.
'Til we meet again
Paul
Monday, January 26, 2009
A Memorable Meal.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the cast and crew of one of the best shows that it has ever been my privilege in which to perform. "The Man Who Came To Dinner" was a show that I knew little about before reading it. It struck me as a show that could be very very good or very very bad depending on the type of cast that was assembled. I consider our interpretation, a complete success in all ways. So, to all of you who shared the field of battle with me over the last 3 months I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to a wonderful show, and I fervently hope that I will get to share it with you again for many shows to come.
'Til we meet again
Paul
Friday, January 16, 2009
My most abject apologies.
To all my faithful blog followers, I first wish to extend my heartfelt apologies for the lack of posts in the month of December. For those of you who know me you know that December was a freakin' crazy month of one thing after another. So I thought that with this post I would catch everyone up to speed as to what kept me so busy that I could not post once the entire month.
It all started the 1st weekend of the month. A two year love affair with a particular play known as "Beckett" premiered at my local community playhouse on the 4th and ran the entire weekend. Needless to say the entire week leading up to it was filled with frantic rehearsals and long nights. I am pleased to announce that it was met with rave reviews even if the crowds were very small you can read the review here if you are interested. http://www.tampabay.com/features/performingarts/article918006.ece
The next event that shaped my month happened the very day after Beckett ended. The company where I work was audited by Texas Medicaid. I was trapped for two days with very nice people from the state reviewing our ability to service the product that we are contracted to service. Following that wonderful experience I was then allowed to be part of a new training class as an instructor, for that same product. That took up the next week of my life and then I was finally at the one thing that I had been looking forward to the entire month. December 18th 2008 I started my Christmas vacation. 10 days of not having to work. That being said I by no means had a slow vacation. On top of having rehearsal's for The Man Who Came To Dinner, which incidentally has opened and been reviewed,(see http://www.tampabay.com/features/performingarts/article964618.ece if interested.), I got to play Taxi to my Brother and his lovely Wife and my Sister, who came to visit for Christmas.
Not that I am complaining understand. I love my siblings and hate the fact that we are so far away from each other. But this was my vacation. Thursday December 18th drove to the Orlando/Sanford Airport 2 1/2 hrs away to pick my Brother and his wife up, then rehearsal that night. Friday thru Tuesday at the house relaxing. I guess I could have spent this time updating my blog but you know I was on vacation and did not feel like it so sue me. Tuesday Dec. 23rd drove with Dwight and Jenny to Daytona Beach to visit with the Grandparents and my Aunt Lynda while we waited for my sister to arrive at 11 p.m. in Orlando, did not get home until 2:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve. Wednesday Dec. 24th had Christmas at the house with everyone. Got an XBOX almost creamed myself. Thought you'd like to know. Thursday Dec. 25th drove back to Orlando/Sanford to take Dwight and Jenny back to the airport. Friday went to the mall with my Mom and Sister and bought a bunch of games for my XBOX. Saturday said goodbye to my Sister as she and Mom drove back to Orlando/Sanford to get her to the Airport with a side trip to IKEA. Then spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and getting ready for a business trip that I had to go on for work to Fairmont West Virgina.
That next morning Sunday the 28th I got up at 4:30 a.m. so my Father could take me to the Tampa Airport for my 8:45 flight. He had to be at work anyway. The flight was an experience to say the least. We got stuck in the Charlotte Airport for 12 hours because our plane broke. Because of that delay we did not reach the hotel in Fairmont until 1:45 a.m. on Monday the 29th. The rest of the trip was uneventful. We spent the day at one of our outsourced sites helping the new hires and spending the evenings at the Hotel. New year's day I worked for six hours then came back to the hotel to watch the second half of the Capital One Bowl and a Looney Tunes marathon on Cartoon Network. Our flight home was only disrupted by the complete shutdown of Pittsburgh International Airport because of some yahoo breaking the security rules.
But I'm home now and glad that December is behind me. I am in the second week of the run of a very good show and enjoying my Christmas Toy.
I hope you will forgive me for the delay but this should shed some light on the situation.
Til we meet again
Paul
It all started the 1st weekend of the month. A two year love affair with a particular play known as "Beckett" premiered at my local community playhouse on the 4th and ran the entire weekend. Needless to say the entire week leading up to it was filled with frantic rehearsals and long nights. I am pleased to announce that it was met with rave reviews even if the crowds were very small you can read the review here if you are interested. http://www.tampabay.com/features/performingarts/article918006.ece
The next event that shaped my month happened the very day after Beckett ended. The company where I work was audited by Texas Medicaid. I was trapped for two days with very nice people from the state reviewing our ability to service the product that we are contracted to service. Following that wonderful experience I was then allowed to be part of a new training class as an instructor, for that same product. That took up the next week of my life and then I was finally at the one thing that I had been looking forward to the entire month. December 18th 2008 I started my Christmas vacation. 10 days of not having to work. That being said I by no means had a slow vacation. On top of having rehearsal's for The Man Who Came To Dinner, which incidentally has opened and been reviewed,(see http://www.tampabay.com/features/performingarts/article964618.ece if interested.), I got to play Taxi to my Brother and his lovely Wife and my Sister, who came to visit for Christmas.
Not that I am complaining understand. I love my siblings and hate the fact that we are so far away from each other. But this was my vacation. Thursday December 18th drove to the Orlando/Sanford Airport 2 1/2 hrs away to pick my Brother and his wife up, then rehearsal that night. Friday thru Tuesday at the house relaxing. I guess I could have spent this time updating my blog but you know I was on vacation and did not feel like it so sue me. Tuesday Dec. 23rd drove with Dwight and Jenny to Daytona Beach to visit with the Grandparents and my Aunt Lynda while we waited for my sister to arrive at 11 p.m. in Orlando, did not get home until 2:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve. Wednesday Dec. 24th had Christmas at the house with everyone. Got an XBOX almost creamed myself. Thought you'd like to know. Thursday Dec. 25th drove back to Orlando/Sanford to take Dwight and Jenny back to the airport. Friday went to the mall with my Mom and Sister and bought a bunch of games for my XBOX. Saturday said goodbye to my Sister as she and Mom drove back to Orlando/Sanford to get her to the Airport with a side trip to IKEA. Then spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and getting ready for a business trip that I had to go on for work to Fairmont West Virgina.
That next morning Sunday the 28th I got up at 4:30 a.m. so my Father could take me to the Tampa Airport for my 8:45 flight. He had to be at work anyway. The flight was an experience to say the least. We got stuck in the Charlotte Airport for 12 hours because our plane broke. Because of that delay we did not reach the hotel in Fairmont until 1:45 a.m. on Monday the 29th. The rest of the trip was uneventful. We spent the day at one of our outsourced sites helping the new hires and spending the evenings at the Hotel. New year's day I worked for six hours then came back to the hotel to watch the second half of the Capital One Bowl and a Looney Tunes marathon on Cartoon Network. Our flight home was only disrupted by the complete shutdown of Pittsburgh International Airport because of some yahoo breaking the security rules.
But I'm home now and glad that December is behind me. I am in the second week of the run of a very good show and enjoying my Christmas Toy.
I hope you will forgive me for the delay but this should shed some light on the situation.
Til we meet again
Paul
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)