First Day

back at work.

woot.

Coming back to HGO, even after a meager (2) weeks away, still feels a bit like the first day of school...

New clothes.

New pens.

A new Trapper Keeper (j/k, but how awesome would that be?)

And when you see people for the first time... again, people with whom you have spent countless hours/days/weeks/months with over the course of previous reps, they give you that surprised-interested-mildly-amused-though-not-outwardly-excited-but-good-to-see-you face.

You know the one.

But a good day back it was. Production meeting for Studio Showcase, this and next week, with a Director that I know (apparently) from the SFO Apprentice Scenes. The plot thickens.

Spent (a lot) of time in the comfy chairs in the ATD office.

Emails, plots, work blah, blah, blah

And...

I played Christmas Music all...day...long!

I realize I may be jumping on that horse a little soon, but it is after T-day, and I think I have the right.

Right?

Last year my Room-mate/Office-mate and I made the unspoken decision to exclusively play Christmas music for all of the December prep period (to be fair, mostly my decision, and with much chagrin from the aforementioned Room-mate/Office-mate).

But, as I may have mentioned earlier in this space, I am absolutely and totally swayed emotionally/physically/spiritually by the music I happen to be listening to at that moment. Which means I have the benefit of being able to force myself to be just a little bit more lively and cheerful as we push, unavoidably, towards the jovial Holiday Season by simply hitting play on my "350 Christmas Favorites" playlist.

It is a good skill/curse to have when you need to get the previously discussed emotions/body/spirit back on track, in a professional sense. Considering how useful I have been the week leading up to and the (2) weeks away from my desk, there is a good deal work to be done this week, and a bit of levity and cheer might just tip the scales in my favor.

So, to sum up: First day at school, thickening plot, comfy chairs, christmas music, and cupcakes (I may not have mentioned those).

And, it's only Monday.

350 Christmas Favorites...

PLAY.

I am

A full on Nerd.

Like, no kidding, a nerd in the strictest sense.

The definition of the word (that someone made up one day on wikipedia) is a derogatory connotation or stereotype, that refers to a person who passionately pursues intellectual activities, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests that are age-inappropriate rather than engaging in more social or popular activities.

I was raised in a home of Star Trek, Sea Quest (yes, the one with the talking dolphin), and Isaac Asimov.

I wore out my Star Wars, Labyrinth, Krull (yes, the one with the spinning knife), and Willow VHS tapes.

I created whole worlds, universes, story lines, heros, and villains while sitting on my living room floor, using these films as the raw material for my imagination.

Over the course of this last week, I had a few conversations with my Aunt about how and why we think and formulate opinions. Which has a great deal to do with who we are, who we associate with, who we are attracted to, what we excel at, and what we never touch or never let touch us.

I really feel like a lot of it has to do with the media we are exposed to when we are growing up. I will admit to being programmed/wired mostly by the strangeness ( read::awesomeness::) of the 80's. A lot of adjectives could be thrown around to describe this period in Western society, but it could probably be explained by saying that pretty much across the board, it was an era of Aesthetic for the sake of making/showing something New.

REALLY new, in most cases.

Big hair, bigger shoulders, why not?

Hyper-colors, music videos, and electronica...sure.

I feel like my claim to Nerd-ness resonates around my tendency to think a little (read::A lot::) off-center. Combine the strangeness ( read::awesomeness::) of my thought process with the inward-turning-day-dreaming tendencies of an only child, and that pretty much sums me up.

So I'm a Nerd.

But we all have to live out our destiny, right?

I choose to embrace the one that's a little strange (read::awesome::).

So...

March 2008 huh?

Well... I remember writing that last post.

Different apartment.

Different Job (title).

Different people (mostly).

Basically a very different point/place in life.

Sitting in LAX today I had the unexplainable desire to get back to my (newer) apartment in Houston, and write.

Something, anything, doesn't really matter. After the last 20 months, give or take, and all the events, mishaps, wins and losses, it felt like the thing to do.

March 2008 huh?

The last two weeks, give or take, have in some ways enacted more change in my life than the previous 80.

1) My Family has lost it's absolute Matriarch, and perhaps it's physical center.

2) I have been more honest with family/friends about myself than I have been my whole life.

Both of these have, needless to say, changed things quite a bit on the home front. For the better, he tentatively says. But definitely a change.

I'm not great at summing up, and to try to provide some sort of deep insight about my last 20 months would be folly. Lets just say a lot happened, and some things didn't.

So moving forward. I have put forth the challenge to myself to post something to this space at least once a day thru the end of the year.

March 2008 huh? Well this should at the very least take us into 2010, right?