Why I love dating an actor… June 22, 2004 ~ 7:28 pm
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedHow many guys say “Come here. Look at me. Can you tell I’m wearing makeup?” I’ll rephrase that. How many straight guys say that? For the record, he asked me that last night before he went onstage - he needed the makeup on so he didn’t wash out visually under the lights. Even knowing that, I almost died laughing.
Vacation over June 22, 2004 ~ 5:03 pm
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedJust kill me now. It’s so hard coming back from being off two weeks. The day went by fairly quickly, and I had been keeping up with emails from home, but I so didn’t want to be at work today. Two weeks of relaxation did wonders for me. But now, at the end of the day, I’ve noticed my stomach problems coming back, and there’s that familiar twinge in the back of my neck where stress sits. It’s time to find a less office oriented gig.
One of the theaters that I gig at is looking for a director of development. I’ve never written grants in my life, and the idea scares the bejesus out of me, but I can write pretty well, I know the company, and I’m seriously thinking about it, but for the fact that it starts in two weeks. Not enough notice to serve this job. Ah, well. Probably for the best. But I am scouting around now…
He cut his hair. June 22, 2004 ~ 10:29 am
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedRick cut his hair on Friday. He didn’t tell me until Sunday, when I got a call at the laundromat asking “If I were going to cut my hair, would you rather I tell you first, or would you want it to be a surprise when you saw me?” I immediately knew what this meant.
“You cut it already, didn’t you?” I asked.
“I’m not answering that till you answer my question.”
“You already cut it. How short is it?”
“Short.”
I just sighed.
Cutting his hair might not seem like a big deal to most people. He had a ponytail, he hacked it off. So what? So what is that I had never seen him with short hair. Ever since I met him, which was about four years ago (we were sort of acquainted for two years before we started going out - he acted in a show at the theatre company where I was working), he had long hair. We started going out because of that long hair. I was casting a reading where the lead character was General Custer, and I needed someone with long, curly, blonde hair. So I cast Rick, who I remembered from the aforementioned play. The cast and I went to a bar afterwards, Rick and I hit it off, I gave him my number, and two days later he asked me out. That was almost two years ago.
Now the hair is gone. The ponytail is sitting in his living room, waiting to be sent to Locks Of Love. Everytime I see it, I want to grab it, hold it over my head, and give an Indian war whoop, because it looks like something that was scalped. However, I have to hand it to him, he looks good with short hair. Sexy, even. And now, instead of 38, my almost-50 year old boyfriend looks like he’s 35. How do men do that?
So now everyone has seen the hair but the girls, who are in Paris with their mom. Can’t wait to see their faces when they get a look at Daddy!
Weekend June 19, 2004 ~ 9:06 am
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedSince there seem to be many camping lovers amongst you guys, I have a question for you…after tent and sleeping bags, what do you consider to be the most important piece of camping equipment? We’re still scouting around and want to make sure we’re not buying crap we don’t need, and since the last time I went camping was about 10 years ago, I’m looking for advice.
I’ve been told we do want padding to sleep on. Is a self-inflatable mat better than the roll out one? Do we need a cookstove? Give me all your suggestions, please.
On a sidenote, I’m home from Philly, and already have a full day ahead of me. First laundry, then the Midsummer Circle at Enchantments in Manhattan (Midsummer is one of the Pagan Sabbats, so they’re having a Circle to celebrate), and tonight I’m going over to Prospect Park with some friends to see a free concert of South African music. Really excited about the Circle and the concert. The laundry - not so much.
And tomorrow, have to look around and see who has portable airconditioners. The temps are supposed to go down this week, but after having been in Philly (the song from 1776 doesn’t lie, Philly really is “hot as hell”, and humid to boot) the past few days, I realized how much I like airconditioning. So I’m gonna suck it up and buy one.
Trying for a more coherent post June 17, 2004 ~ 10:37 am
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedI realize that I haven’t been totally coherent the last few posts. I try to be, but it’s been a nuts week. And now using someone else’s computer…well, I feel like I should be hanging out with Kim, instead of on her computer. But she has graciously told me I can blog from here whenever, mostly because she likes reading the posts, I think. So here goes…
Tremendous thunderstorm last night as Kim and I got off the train from Philly meant that we were both soaked by the time we reached the car. Didn’t help that we got into a water fight and were kicking water at each other! But by the time we got back to Kim’s, we were wiped and spent the rest of the night watching movies. Love Actually for my fourth time. I love that movie - there are just so many little details to notice, and each time I get something different out of it. It’s interesting to see who is friends with whom, and how those relationships unfold or are kind of dropped during the movie. And my favorite part is still Jamie’s (Colin Firth) rambling monologue in Portuguese. I just get a kick out of the fact that it’s not perfect and the subtitles reflect that - it’s natural that he’s going to fuck up verb tenses and whathaveyou, and the writer let him do that. Perfect.
Called Rick after that, because I missed hearing his voice - we normally talk a couple times a day, at least. He had left two detailed messages on my voicemail about everything he had been up to - from waterproofing the tent, to scouting out campsites, to playing 27 holes of golf. There is just something wrong with that last one…
Afterwards, turned on the TV to find that The Importance of Being Earnest was on. Let’s hear it for Colin Firth night.
Well, that was mostly coherent, go me.
Run down by the Real World June 16, 2004 ~ 6:40 pm
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedWhile donating money to the Democratic National Committee this afternoon in Philly, we were almost run down by four men. One was carrying a package, one was carrying a camera and filming the guy with the package, another was being a bumper and pushing everyone out of the way who got near the camera, and the fourth guy was looking incredibly important while actually doing nothing. The DNC guys we were chatting with informed us to the building the disappeared into, which looked vaguely historical and was right next to the Betsy Ross house, was actually the new Real World house. So I may be on TV eventually. Not holding my breath, tho.
We did have a blast in Philly…rain held off until we came home, so we got to pack in the Independence Hall complex, the Liberty Bell (complete with new and improved security), Christ Church, Franklin Court, Christ Church Cemetery (which was open, unlike the last time I was there, so I actually got a good shot of Ben Franklin’s grave and got to touch it), and the Constitution Center (overrated). Oh, and the best cheesesteaks in Philly at Sammy’s, thankyouverymuch. I’ll get pictures up sometime this weekend…don’t want to mess with the upload process on Kim’s computer.
Can’t think of anything else at the moment, so off to Wal-Mart.
We bought a tent! June 13, 2004 ~ 10:07 pm
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedRick and I got out of town yesterday afternoon, and God was it nice. Went upstate, near West Point and Bear Mountain, where there are about five million lakes, and went hiking. I love hiking, but don’t often get out of the city, so this was a real treat.
And then we went shopping at Woodbury Commons outlet mall. This was weird. Rick doesn’t like to shop because he’s a man. But yesterday it was his idea to go to Woodbury Commons, so we went. And bought him sandals, and sunglasses, and some pants and a jacket. It was after we bought all of this that I learned something very important. Rick likes shopping when we’re getting him stuff. Otherwise, he just considers it aimless wandering. A glimpse into the male psyche.
After Woodbury, we went to Modell’s (where we bought the sandals), and while we were there we noticed that tents were on sale - 25% off. I’ve been wanting to get a tent and go camping for a month and a half now, and yesterday, in the face of discount tents, Rick capitulated. We bought a four man tent so that we can take the girls camping this summer. Now comes the fun of looking for camping equipment and campsites to go to. I can’t wait!!!
100 Things June 11, 2004 ~ 10:27 pm
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedI’ve seen this around the blogosphere and it amuses me, so I’m doing it. So there.
1. My parents named me Julie Elizabeth.
2. This was after a long battle. My father decided on Julie. He had once been engaged to a Julie.
3. This other Julie was not my mother. My mom’s name is Linda. She got to pick out my middle name, which really wasn’t fair, because she kinda had to name me Elizabeth. It’s the middle name of both my grandmothers.
4. However, it could have been worse. If I was a boy, Dad wanted to name me after him. So I would have been Francis Arnold III.
5. Although I wanted to be a boy when I was little, knowing what my name would have been made it easier to accept being a girl.
6. Another interesting fact about my name is that my Uncle Tut has it tattooed on his arm. He had it done in WWII, long before I was born.
7. Unfortunately, his wife’s name was not Julie. It was Ruth. Ouch.
8. I am my father’s third child and my mom’s only child.
9. My half brothers are 24 and 28 years older than me, respectively.
10. My mom had me when she was 30. My father was 57 at the time.
11. Some people find this age difference weird. I find it normal.
12. This is probably why my boyfriend is 24 years older than me. He’s turning 50 this year.
13. But he doesn’t look it. He looks about 38. That’s how old I thought he was when he asked me out. What can I say? He’s hot.
14. He’s also an actor. I broke my “Don’t date any actors” rule when I started going out with him.
15. So far, I haven’t regretted it.
16. I have a “don’t date any actors” rule because I work in the theatre. I’m a dramaturg.
17. That is not dramaTURD.
18. And it’s not funny the 30th time someone springs that joke on you. It wasn’t even funny the 1st time someone did.
19. Ideally, I would be working in a theater full-time, preferably one that does revivals so that I can do research for directors and designers, and good program notes, and all the fun things that dramaturgs do.
20. They also work on developing new plays with playwrights, but I’ve been doing that part-time for three years now, and I want a change.
21. Unfortunately, the pay for either of these dramaturgical aspects is not stellar. So far I haven’t found a single full-time dramaturgy gig.
22. So I work as an Assistant Registrar at a college. I supervise the Degree Audit division.
23. This means I make sure that everyone has met the requirements for their degrees.
24. And I can say “No, you dumbass, you are not smart enough to graduate.”
25. Well, not exactly in those words…
26. It’s stressful at times, but it pays the rent. And I like most of the people I work with.
27. I was born and raised near Pittsburgh, PA.
28. So I still say things like “Yinz” and “gumbands” occasionally.
29. Now that I live in Brooklyn, I get laughed at for saying those things. So I have learned to say “soda” instead of “pop” and “on line” instead of “in line”.
30. My combination Brooklynese/Pittsburghese dialect is truly frightening.
31. And yes, I now say “Dowg” instead of “Dog”. Much to my chagrin.
32. I was a history major in college. Getting a lot of use out of that degree, let me tell you.
33. Almost as much as I get out of my MFA in Dramaturgy and Theatre Criticism.
34. Speaking of my MFA, even though I completed my coursework in 2001, I didn’t get off my ass and finish my thesis until Fall 2003.
35. I claim burnout as my excuse. That and a holy terror of an advisor.
36. Once, when I was working on a production and burst into tears in her office because I was so overwhelmed, she said “You know, I’m always glad to see other people cry. It makes me realize I’m not the only one who does.”
37. I shit you not.
38. She was the reason my friends and I started writing what we called “Hate Haiku” during her classes. One of my favorites goes like this:
39. “Frown, scowl, down-turned brow/Why are you looking at me/Like that, stupid cow?”
40. My favorite bands are Def Leppard and Queen. Have been since high school.
41. I think I am the only person in the universe who can play “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Tonight” on the xylophone.
42. That was the instrument I played in high school band.
43. I don’t have a xylophone now. Or even a bell set. They’re really expensive. But I do have a guitar that I don’t play as much as I should.
44. But in the amount of time that I do spend playing it, I’ve learned the intro for “Tonight.” “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a little harder to pick up.
45. I’ll listen to most kinds of music. Except boy bands and Britney Spears clones.
46. As far as actors go, I tend to like British actors better on the whole.
47. Emma Thompson and Judi Dench are superb.
48. And then there are the British guys…Colin Firth and Alan Rickman. Damn, they are hot.
49. I liked Mel Gibson for a very long time, but am sort of put off by The Passion.
50. Fundamentalists of any religion scare me.
51. I’m Wiccan.
52. I never really identified with a male God, and the whole “Thou Shall Not” thing kinda left me in the cold, too.
53. So now I worship a God and Goddess, and the only rule I follow is the Wiccan Rede “An it harm none, do what you will.”
54. I believe in Karma, too.
55. I really like Ganesh, the Hindu Remover of Obstacles. He’s the god with the head of an elephant.
56. I’m a Democrat. A Yellow-Dog Democrat.
57. I can be somewhat outspoken on my political views.
58. But not around certain family members, because that always leads to WWIII.
59. My family tends to hold grudges.
60. We haven’t spoken to half of my family in 10 years. Life is easier this way. Why deal with assholes unless you have to?
61. I have red hair. So do my cousin, my uncle, and two aunts. And one of my half brothers too.
62. We have no idea where my brother got it - he’s the only one on my dad’s side of the family with red hair.
63. On my mom’s side of the family, we get the red hair from County Cork. That’s where some of the family comes from.
64. Dad’s side of the family is almost pure German, although they have been in the US since the Revolutionary War.
65. It must have been hard to keep finding other Germans to marry, after a while.
66. I’m the first generation on that side of the family not to speak German. I’m sure my grandfather is spinning in his grave.
67. My father is also dead. He died before I was two. I don’t remember him.
68. So I often have irreverent thoughts like “I wonder if the blue polyester leisure suit Daddy was buried in will outlast the embalming fluid they put in him?” Mom tolerates these speculations remarkably well. She’s cool.
69. Hehe, 69.
70. I often have irreverent thoughts. I tend to voice them. My friends think these are hysterical.
71. I started a blog so that I could get these thoughts out as they came to me, instead of holding them in for an appropriate audience.
72. I still think they’re funny, but if I was a stand-up comedian (as I sometimes think of myself), they would probably come out like Dennis Leary’s rants.
73. You know, some people think they’re funny, some people think they’re annoying as hell and throw things at the comedian.
74. I bought Dennis Leary’s “No Cure For Cancer” tape. Because I really liked the song “Asshole.”
75. If you’ve heard it, you know what I’m talking about.
76. 100 things are a lot to come up with.
77. I like web design. I’d like to learn more about it. I think that could be a fun job.
78. I’m going to be 27 this year, and still have problems waking up in the morning, picking out which clothes to wear, and remembering to feed myself.
79. I can’t imagine having kids for that reason. I don’t think I’m responsible enough for that.
80. I used to think I wanted kids, now I’m not sure.
81. My boyfriend has two kids. They’re 8 and 11. I like them a lot. Even if the 11 year old is taller than me now.
82. Have I mentioned that I’m only 5′3″? On a good day.
83. I’ve come around to my uncle’s point of view: “I like having kids around. And I like giving them back to their parents when I’m finished with them.”
84. This is probably because I’m just as irresponsible as they are. I don’t like playing the adult.
85. And I have to have cool toys like they do.
86. I have a Gameboy Advance SP. And many games for it. I can spend hours playing it. I also have a digital camera, an iPod mini, and too many other gadgets to list.
87. As a matter of fact, I spend too much of my money buying cool toys.
88. I should stop that.
89. I should sit down and write a budget. But I’ve been saying that for months.
90. The other thing I blow too much money on is books. Somehow I have it in my head that books are okay to buy, even if you’re broke.
91. Because, well, they’re books. They’re good for you. Right?
92. Riiiiight.
93. I can’t narrow things down to “favorite”. Not food, not movie, not books. This drives my boyfriend’s kids nuts. They are at that age where everything is favorites.
94. I do enjoy the books of Anne Rice and Elizabeth Peters, however.
95. And the Harry Potter Movies are cool, although as soon as I see another movie, I’ll say that’s my favorite.
96. Indian food is pretty tasty, and so is Chinese.
97. I do have a favorite color. Cobalt Blue. Particularly if it’s glassware, because light shining through Cobalt Blue glass is gorgeous.
98. Someday I hope to own my own place. A townhouse in Brooklyn Heights maybe.
99. Where I will have lots of cobalt blue glassware to display.
100. And now I’m done. Finally. And for as long as this took, I could look at it tomorrow and change half of it, I’m sure. Maybe I’ll do that sometime in the future. But not anytime soon.
To Clean or Not to Clean June 11, 2004 ~ 7:08 pm
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedWhile I’m pretty much living with my boyfriend until I go to Philly, when I asked him if he needed a night off this afternoon, he looked around and said “Well, I should clean the apartment.” So I am home tonight. Watching Degrassi: The Next Generation again. Yikes.
I’m contemplating doing some house cleaning of my own tonight. I won’t be around for most of the time till I leave for Philly, and Jordana is coming around to cat-sit starting on Tuesday. Do I want her to witness the pig sty that is my house? No. So I should straighten up, do dishes, vacuum, sweep, mop, and clean the bathroom. Any of those would help, actually. Will I get to them? I dunno. Maybe if I have a beer.
I did do some blog-cleaning, miniscule as it was. Andy Kaufman (or whomever it was) hadn’t posted in almost a month, so his blog is off the links. Lori had better watch out, or she’s next! 
I also added my friend Colleen’s LiveJournal. We’ve been best friends since high school, and while it’s kind of hard to keep in touch with our crazy schedules, we’ve found blogging helps a lot. Finally, My Bitchy Pregnancy has transformed into Momster, and can now be found under that in my links.
I wish house cleaning was as easily accomplished!
I am going to be evil in this post. June 11, 2004 ~ 4:12 pm
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedYou have been warned.
I’ve kept quiet about Reagan’s death this week for a number of reasons - most having to do with me being a yellow dog Democrat and not agreeing with his policies. Let’s just say I wasn’t sad when he died, and leave it at that.
However, today we’ve hit the straw that broke the camel’s back. After having to watch the lying in state for an entire week, we come to the National Day of Mourning. Why they couldn’t have had this back on Monday is beyond me. This seems to be a rather prolonged mourning period. But this afternoon as Rick and I were searching for the weather on NY1 (he doesn’t have cable, and NY1 is the local channel we normally get weather info from), we found that not just one channel, not just the network channels, but the first 13 freaking channels were all showing coverage of the body being moved to the plane. And it was all the exact same camera shot!!! Talk about control of the media. We switched between public access and the security camera channel until it was over. Enough is enough, we have hit funeral overload.
And actually, looking back at this, I haven’t been nearly as evil as I could be. Or as evil as I wanted to be. Maybe I am finally learning how to hold my tongue?
