That's Chicago!

Chicago was wonderful.  Much friendlier than New York.  It's a big city but it has such a small town feel to it.  I can definitely see myself living there.

I was scared during the takeoff, but once we got in the air I was fine.  I really like flying.  I just wish that you got more leg room.

I got to see much more of Chicago than I got to see of New York.  We drove all around, through the city parts and the suburban parts.  

Friday night we went to see a 75 minute version of the Taming of the Shrew at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.  It was pretty funny.  Parts of it were corny and over done, but I absolutely LOVED the guy who played Petruchio.  He was like a very kooky, much sexier, better actor version of Jack Black.  I got his autograph after the show.  He asked me if I liked the show.  My exact words were:  "Yeah . . . I really liked . . . you."  My eloquence amazes me sometimes.   

I caught a glimpse of a movie set.  They had this road closed off to traffic and there were all these trucks with equipment.  We drove by on another road and I saw these SWAT trucks, so I figured that it was probably some kind of action movie.  A few days later Mrs. Phillips ex-husband told us that they were looking for a bunch of extras for the next batman movie, The Dark Knight.  So I'm pretty sure what we saw was them filming part of that!  I didn't see Christian Bale or Heath Ledger or any of them though.

But I did meet someone famous.  Well, sort of.  We drove by Oprah's studio (no, I didn't see Oprah), and decided to get luch at the Wishbone restaurant nearby.  Right as we walked in I saw him: Lavell Crawford (sp?).  For those of you who don't know, he is one of the contestants on  this season of Last Comic Standing.  He's really funny.  I went over and asked him if he was Lavell Crawford (even though my mom didn't want to).  He said "Yeeeesssss, sweetheart."  He shook my hand.  I told him that we really liked him and were rooting for him.  He told us to keep watching the show.  I'm pretty sure that they film all of the finals of LCS in LA, so he was probably in Chicago either for an interview or because he is from there.  I can't remember where he auditioned.  Maybe he was on Oprah! 

Mrs. Phillips introduced me to so many people who were in showbiz or who knew famous people.  She herself was, her ex-husband was, her son was (he was in a movie with Alan Arkin) . . .  The choir director at her church taught Kristen Chenowith music at Northwestern.  She used to know Aidan Quinn (although I'm not sure if he knew her).  There were a bunch of others too that I can't remember right now.  It made me realized how easy that six degrees game really is.

The only real campus tour I got to go on was of the film department at Columbia College Chicago.  We just did driving tours of the rest.  It's between Northwestern and Columbia, but I think I'd rather got to Columbia.  They seeem to have the biggest film department and I know that anyone can audition for their productions, not just juniors or seniors like at some schools.  I doubt if I'll be able to double major in film and theater, though, and you can't minor in film there, so I need to find out if they offer a minor in theater. 

I really didn't want to leave.  I miss it already.  But with any luck, I'll be going to school there really soon.

Well, I guess that's about it. 

Okay, I know I say this every time, but I haven't been on here in forever!  I really mean it this time!  September 8, 2006?  That's seems like a lifetime away.

A quick recap of my junior year:  Salt Marsh (almost eaten by mud), Irish One-Acts (love the accent), Shenandoah (5 mile hike, last mile straight up a mountain),  Scapin (the silent play that almost wasn't), Mr. G left (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!), Hamlet (Omega Tau Phi), Drama Awards (All That Jazz, nope, no pianist, okay, 4 merry murderessses of the Caroline County Jail), graduation: the seniors are leaving! (drama is screwed). 

Now, a quick recap of my summer so far: graduation parties (gave Derek a house), job hunting (no calls),  movie watching (attack of the three-quels), Our Town dramaturgy (you better appreciate this, Carver), trip to Busch Gardens (screw you Kings Dominion), more job hunting (we're hiring cart girls, j/k), Morrowind (omg I've turned into a gamer!), another trip to Busch Gardens(still haven't ridden the Griffon), gave up on the job hunting, more movie watching (Alan Rickman phase), a lot more Morrowind (it's addictive),  Harry Potter movie (I hate you David Yates!), Harry Potter book (omg it's really over!), Dual English crap (ugh homework), Simpsons movie (hilarious), yet another trip to Busch Gardens (finally rode the Griffon), more Our Town dramaturgy (okay, so he dropped g's in one version, big difference).

Phew!  Now for the real reason why I came on here today:  On Friday, I am leaving to go to Chicago!  On an airplane!  (Okay, so I've never been on an airplane before, have you met my family?  The Neverdoanythings?)  I'm not coming back until Monday.  I can't wait!  It is finally starting to sink in.  How did this happen, you might ask (especially if you have met my family).  At Will's graduation party, I was introduced to Will's grandmother.  She's a prominent figure in the Chicago theater scene, and I talked to her about how I want to go to college in Chicago.  She told me about theater and film programs there, and about the city itself.  Then she offered to let us stay with her when we went to Chicago to tour campuses.  I'd never even met her before, and she offered to let us stay with her!  Well, my mom still wasn't completely convinced, until Will's mom called to say that they were planning on visiting Chicago and asked if we wanted to go with them.  I had enough money left from my tips at Aunt Sarah's, so we're going!  I still can't believe it!

Well, I should probably go work on my summer reading for Governor's School.  And start packing.          

I got the part!  I'm really happy about that. 

I had to work tonight.  I thought I was gonna hate it, but it was actually kind of therapeutic.  It helped me get my mind off of things. 

I have to go to the salt marsh Thursday, where green-headed flies will steal pieces of my flesh.  That's basically the short version of what Mr. G told us today at Governor's School.  That, and we will be getting very muddy.  And the mud is full of bacteria.  Fun.

I'm really tired.  I haven't slept well since school started.  And I have a lot of homework.

Not much else to say really.

School has started back.  I'm not really as excited or happy about that as I thought I was. 

The one thing I'm really looking forward to is the after school plays.  Auditions ended today.  I'll find out if I'm in tomorrow.  I really hope I get to be Maurya.  Her character interests me.  Maybe it's the amount of emotion she has to show.  I haven't really gotten a chance to do that before.  I really want to.

Things are officially over between me and Todd.  I was really mad at him until a few hours ago when we finally talked.  That was the worst part: we hadn't talked.  I don't really feel like going into detail right now.  The bottom line: I've made my peace with him, for the most part.  I'm not ready to go back to being friends yet, though.  It's gonna take a while.  But as the wise poet Crow once said: "The first cut is the deepest."  It's his loss.  I still have some questions that I need answered, but that isn't entirely about him.  I need to figure out who has been honest with me and who hasn't.

I think my guinea pig is dying.  He hasn't ate or drank anything for a while.  He's pretty much layed there in the same place for like 2 days.  I don't really think we can do anything for him.  We still don't even know what is wrong with him.

Well, my school year really isn't starting out very well.  Maybe things will get better.  I sure hope so.  I don't know how much more of this I can take.       

Got back from Naylor's Beach today.  It wasn't quite as pointless as I thought it would be.  I read a lot more of "Into the Wild" (one of the g-school summer reading books).

I feel really lost right now.  I feel like I've lost my religion.  I'm not even sure if I believe in God anymore.  I mean, I've never been a very religious person, I very rarely go to church, but I've always believed in God.  Now I don't know.  I want to.  I really want to.  I want to believe there is a higher purpose.  I want to believe there is an afterlife.  And it scares me to think that there may not be.  But everytime I think I've found my faith again, that I do believe in God, then I think of another reason not to believe, and I'm lost all over again.  And I feel alone in my confusion.  If I talk to my parents about it, they'll blame themselves for not taking me to church more.  But in a way I'm glad they didn't.  I want to believe because I choose to believe, not because other people tell me to. 

I did enough thinking about this at Naylor's.  I don't want to think about it anymore right now.

So anyway . . . Gov school orientation is next week.  I'm kinda looking forward to it, but I haven't finished my journals yet and I'm not sure if they are due next week or not.  Grrr.  I really need to get them done.  But I just hate spending what little time is left of summer working on that.  I'd rather be getting ready for play auditions or  . . . writing poetry.  I've been doing that a lot lately.  I really enjoy it.  And I think I'm pretty good at it, too.  I've let a few friends read my poems and they have said that they were good.  I'm kinda hoping that maybe I will be able to write enough poems to publish a book of them before I graduate.  I'd really like to.  It would prove to me that I can make it as a writer.  Well, it's worth a shot.

I've come to the realization that no matter how much I say I want to be an actress and a writer, I will still want to be a singer as well.  Music will always be a part of me.  Heck, I was born a roadie!  No joke: my dad was in a band for a long time.  I used to help set up equipment.  He sang, and I wanted to, too.  I still do.  I love to sing.  I really wish I could get some lessons.  I want to be as good as it is in my power to be.  But I have neither the time nor the money.  

I've always wanted to be in a band.  I've always wanted to try to get one together.  But not that many people play instruments.  I found out that the band Chris and Todd and them were trying to get together still doesn't have a lead singer.  And Chris asked me if I could sing.  I told him I like to think so.  He said he'd have to listen to me sometime.  I'd kinda like to be in their band.  It seems like the only chance I'll get to be in any band any time in the near future.  But I'm not sure if I would enjoy playing the kind of music they want to play.  I'm willing to give it a try, though.  I don't know.  We'll see.  Chris hasn't even heard me sing yet.  He may not even like me. 

Well, I guess that's about it for right now.