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The Not-Quite-Full Monty

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scary.jpgSo auditions for the SCT summer musical were Monday and Tuesday. I sang One Song Glory and Your Eyes, both from RENT. I did alright. I mean, not spectacular but not bad. The songs were a different style than I’m used to singing and the range was all over the place, from low to pretty high.

There were a lot of people that auditioned. Several from Theatre MSU and the MSU choir. It ought to be a good show and a lot of fun. The director is facing a situation that she hasn’t faced before, too many people. I’ve heard there could be cuts but I don’t really know. We should know something soon.

I also heard that we’ll be doing one song from The Full Monty. You know that show where a bunch of guys end up naked at the end? Yeah, well, supposedly we won’t be naked but we won’t be wearing much is what I hear.

Now I’m a modest guy. But I’m willing to commit to this song purely for the fact that it’ll make me get really serious about getting into shape.

A couple months back I did well for about 6 weeks, then Smoke on the Mountain opened and I took about 4 weeks off. And my eating started to slide. I had lost about 7-10 pounds before I quit working out.

The thing is, I’m tall and I tend to carry weight well. So everytime I mention working out and watching what I eat people are like “What? you don’t need to lose any weight.” See, I’m tall and flabby. I don’t like flabby so much. And I don’t want to be flabby if I’m gonna have to take clothes off on stage in front of hundreds of people.

So I had started back to the gym on Monday anyway but now I’m kicking it into high gear. Here’s my plan: 6 days a week, I’m doing cardio. 3 of those will be high intensity interval training. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I’ll do two-a-days and go back to the gym at lunch to do resistance training. I’ll be carb conscious and go low carb a few weeks before the show. It opens 8 weeks from today.

I lost a good deal of weight last summer by eating healthy (mostly) and doing cardio 5 days a week (I put a lot back on over the fall/winter). It worked. But. I am firmly convinced to get the best results in the fastest time, it takes all three things: cardio, weights and clean eating.

About the intensity interval training, it’s 20 minutes of varying levels of intensity. It ends with a full out, everything-you-got sprint, though there are different forms of HIIT. The idea is not to burn a bunch of calories during the exercise, like it normally is with cardio, it’s to rev up your metabolism for calorie burn hours after you finish exercising. You can read it about it here.

My philosophy is to get in the gym, do what I gotta do and get out. I’m not one to go and chat with people and socialize. I never spend more than 50 minutes working out. I recommend the book Body-for-Life as a good starting point for getting in shape.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to the show and it’s gonna be a good time.

I know, I know. That picture is SCARY.

I worked really hard

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on perfecting my walk when I was younger, trying to find the right combination of nonchalant confidence in my stride or strut, if you will. I remember distinctly the day I found it. There was a band concert in the high school gym. I was wearing jeans, a retro tee and a blazer. See? I was way ahead of the fashion curve back then.

I had to cross a long stretch of floor in front of the band and suddenly, it just clicked. I had found The Walk. I took my seat and played the concert, smug in my satisfaction of knowing I had found The Perfect Walk.

Later that day, a friend and band mate said to me at lunch “Kary, you have the sexiest walk.” I nodded and said “I know.”

Unfortunately, her calling attention to my just-found-awesome-walking-style completely ruined it for me and I never found it again.

I’m not sure there is a point to this story.

One day

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Man I can’t wait to have kids just so I can embarrass them in front of their friends. I’m pretty sure that’s what parents are for anyhow. And I had a good teacher, my dad is an expert.

This random thought for the day is not brought by bitter remembrances of childhood. Seriously. I had a good childhood. I just think it’s fun and a parent’s responsibility to embarrass their children.

Organic Food

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BWseal.gifYesterday.

I practiced my audition songs. M left for Birmingham. I had dinner with a friend. That lasted 3 hours. But that’s cool, the conversation was good.

I decided to go get some groceries since I’ve been slacking on my working out and nutrition. So I drove to Wal*Mart as I usually do, grabbed a buggy and walked to the back of the grocery section. About this time I realized that I had been wanting to check out the organic food selection at Kroger that I’d heard about. Since Wal*Mart ain’t got none and ’cause they have unethical business practices, I walked back to the front and left my empty buggy with the confused, elderly greeter. I think l.e.r would be proud.

I drove to Kroger. I was happily surprised in the produce section with the clearly labeled organic fruits and vegetables. I picked up some celery, baby spinach salad and a couple of apples. Then I saw the organic diary cooler with milk, eggs and cheeses. I didn’t need any of that at the time, so I just marveled over it and moved on.

I wish Kroger had a selection for organic meats. I couldn’t find any.

I’m willing to pay more for food that hasn’t been injected with hormones and laced with preservatives and who-knows-what-else. I just wish Starkville had a better selection.

Hippity Hop

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LazyMagnolia_ctm-239x239.jpgMet my lov..er..friend, yeah, friend, James for dinner along with Brandon. We went to Mugshots. Enjoyed a couple of Mississippi’s finest brew, Southern Pecan.

After we finished dinner, we decided to visit every bar on Main street and have one drink at each. Because we had nothing better to do. And there’s only like four or so bars.

So we headed on down to Big Daddy’s and had one drink. They have this trivia game where you get a little computer thing and watch the TV and answer questions. It keeps track of everyone’s score. We didn’t play.

Next we went to the Burgundy Room at Old Venice Pizza Company and had a drink. Ran into an SCT crew there having dinner with a friend who was in town for a visit. We hung out there for a while chatting.

Then we decided to go back to Big Daddy’s and play the trivia game. I either sucked and was last place or I did well and was like 2nd place. It was pretty fun.

Then we tried to hit the last stop for a last drink, Whiskey Blues. There was a loud band, no one in the bar and a $2 cover. We didn’t have any cash so we called it a night.

Don’t worry, I had a total of four drinks over about a five hour period. Pretty reasonable for me and I was never intoxicated. I rarely drink enough for it to effect me.

I didn’t even drink beer until after college. But that’s a story for another day.

One Song Glory, Two Song Sublimity

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one02.jpgYeah so Monday and Tuesday are auditions for the SCT summer musical. I’m looking forward to getting started, I’m already bored sitting on the couch and tappy tappin’ on the computer and watching TV. I can’t fathom a whole summer of this.

Last year I sang Younger Than Springtime from South Pacific which I hadn’t ever heard before. Twice. ‘Cause I didn’t know that most people sing two different songs, one of each night.

Well this year I got two songs lined up to try out. I’m meeting with my friend D, who helped me find a song last year, on Saturday. So I hope the songs I have picked out will suit me ’cause there won’t be time to find anything else.

I’m slighly worried cause the style of the songs is not what I’m used to doing. They’re more rock and I’ve always considered myself more of a crooner. Also the range is kinda high for me. So we’ll see how it works out on Saturday. Both songs are from RENT.

In other news. There’s been some, kinda big and like wow. I’ll leave it for another day.

Apartment Hunting in the Ham

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2030_HA.gifWell yesterday we spent the day looking for an apartment in Birmingham. We didn’t get to bed the night before until about 2:00am. We got up before 7:00am to head out so not much sleep.

Since M was staying in b’ham, we drove separate cars. We dropped her car off at her friend’s house where she is staying for the week and I called several numbers that I found on the internet the night before but none of them did subleases or short term leases.

We drove into town and found UAB. After parking in their parking garage, we checked out the student union for bulletin boards for subleases. We eventually found a studio apt with a short term lease. We checked it out and it was ok.

We drove downtown to see where she would be working and were confused with the north vs south street business but figured it out and found the place.

For lunch we ate at the Mellow Mushroom at 5-points. 5 points is the happening place with cafes and restaurants and what not. We found a rental office close by and went in and talked to them. Turns out I had already called them and they said no short term leases. But going in there and asking face to face produced a different result, they were willing to work with us.

So we checked out a place nearby. It’s called the Richmond and it’s a old, historic building. The apartment was prety cool and M fell in love. We looked at one more apt many blocks away but I think M’s mind was made up. The place is pictured above.

It’s about a half a block away from 5 points so she can walk down to the restaurants and shops. It has a little patio and it’s pretty sweet. I’m excited about going over to visit one weekend and hanging out there.

So I dropped her back off at her friend’s place and I hit the road back to Starkville. I found a good way to stay awake: crank up the OBCR of RENT and sing at the top of my lungs.

It’s official

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M got a call yesterday. She’s moving to Birmingham on Monday. FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER. We’ll at least see each other on weekends, most weekends anyway.

She’s got to find an apartment to live in. Luckily, the first week she’ll stay with a friend as she apartment hunts. I’m going to go over with her on Monday to help look around while she gets familiar with B’ham.

Sooooo. I guess me and James Comans are going to be lovers this summer since his woman is gone for the summer as well. We already asked our respective women and they are ok with it.

 

Conclusions to the spring

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piano.jpgWell, I took my last final today (I only had two, of course). We did a scene from Terra Nova. It went pretty well.

It’s also the end of the school year. All, well, most of the kids will scatter to parts unknown to chill out for a couple of months or get a job or take more classes at a school closer to home.

I’ve met a lot of great people since August of last year. I’ve been in several shows with them. I traveled to NYC with them. I’ve partied with them. I’ve laughed and talked and laughed.

And I’ll miss them.

I’m doubly sad ’cause there’s a really good chance M will be leaving me too. It would be nice if we had a chance for “us” time this summer since the last semester has been so crazy for both of us that we haven’t had much time together. But she’ll probably be interning somewhere. There’s nothing definite yet, but she’s got a couple of leads. She really needs to intern for her career and I support her in that.

But it’s gonna be lonely at home this summer.

Luckily, there’s the summer musical at SCT. I love my SCT peeps. I’m really looking forward to it. Auditions are in a couple of weeks. My first ever stage audition was for the musical last summer. Read about it in part 1 and part 2.

I still can’t believe how much I have learned since then. I’ve had three acting classes from two great teachers. I’ve been in several different kinds of shows. It has been so great. I still don’t know how I didn’t ever start acting/performing sooner.

I was talking to one of my new friends today after the advanced acting final and she couldn’t believe that Story Theatre last November was the first play that I ever did in my life. We didn’t know each other at the time and so it was very self-esteem-boosting to hear that she remembered my performance and thought I was an old-hand and also considering she’s a very good actress herself.

Who knows what the future holds? It’s exciting and I can’t wait.

Did I tell you ’bout the time I got shot in the back?

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gun-smaller.jpgNo? Well it’s not very interesting, but I’ll tell you.

*cue transitional scene music* It was the summer of 1985. I was a young lad, clad in my green Izod shirt, out playing in the large yard of a neighboring house behind our apartment building. My brother, who is five years my senior, and some other kids liked to play back there because it was large and open but still had lots of trees and bushes and other foliage to play around and under.

It was a sunny day, a perfect day for…bleeding. From a gunshot wound. To the back.

Ok, well when I say gunshot wound, it was more like a BB, uh, shot wound. But it really hurt! See, we were playing and my brother was being the typical mean big brother and he threatened to shoot the other kids. He had one of those multi-pump BB guns. You could pump like 40 times and do some serious BB damage. So we all ran off back towards our apartment building.

Then, everything slowed down. My legs just wouldn’t move fast enough. I felt a white-hot heat on my back just before it exploded in pain. The next thing I know I’m being carried by some neighbors to our apartment. Mom’s on the phone calling dad and generally freaking out. I’m looking in the mirror at the bloody hole in my back and whimpering. I imagine my brother was hiding out at this point.

We make it to the emergency room and they dig around the hole in my back for about an hour and a half but they can’t find the BB. The hole goes about an inch and a half in. Eventually the doc says “oh well” and puts a bandage over the hole.

WHAT?!

Excuse me, doc, but I don’t want this thing in my back for the rest of my life. What about metal detectors at the airport? I don’t want to be labeled as a terrorist. And what if Magneto walks by one day? You know he’ll sense that BB in my back and won’t be able to resist ripping it out of my body. THROUGH MY HEART. And I’ll have to explain to every X-Ray technician what that little white dot in my back is on the film.

Well, here we are 20 something years later and luckily I’ve only had to worry about the last one. But don’t think that when Magneto escapes from jail in X-Men 2 it didn’t scare the poop outta me.