Day 8

Halloween!

Let’s keep this short.  I rushed around all day, gathering the finishing touches for my costume, and everything needed for Max’s costume.  At around 3pm, I sat Max down to do his hair and make-up, after he’d spent about 15 minutes rubbing his outfit for that evening in the mud out back.

Here are the results of both efforts:

Max the Zombie

Me as Beatrix Kiddo AKA “The Bride” from Kill Bill
 

Day 7

Interned tonight.

All seemed to be going well until I asked a girl whom I sort of know to watch my purse so I could take a post-shift smoke break.  I put my very unstable bag on the chair next to her and she agrees to watch it.

I start to put on my coat, and she says to me, “Well, actually my friend is sitting here so I’ll just set this on the bar.”

You know how people talk about seeing events happen in slow motion?

Yeah.  That’s what happened next.

As she hoisted my purse onto the bar, I could slowly feel my arms reaching out to grab it.  She set it down…in front of about 15 FULL display bottles of beer and stacks of freshly washed glasses.  As my arms slowly reached closer, it happened.

The girl swung around to watch the rest of the Jam while my purse toppled directly into the bottles and glasses…knocking a shit ton of them over and creating a rather loud crash.

Of course, because she had turned around and I had decided to reach to try and prevent the inevitable, when everyone looked up to see what had happened, I looked like the idiot.

Which is pretty normal for me, however, it’s much different when you’ve just completed your interning shift and your superiors just watched your purse knock shit off the bar.  Quite embarrassing.  *sigh*

Day 6

I broke down in improv class tonight.  Just straight up stopped in the middle of a scene and was like, "Guys, I have no idea what I'm doing.  I need to start over."   I tried to keep going, but two scenes later, I just kind of threw my hands up and said, "Seriously guys, I need a minute.  I'm like ready to cry."   And my face got all hot and my eyes all watery.  And I felt completely ridiculous.  I had to laugh at myself, even though I just felt really overwhelmed I guess.   Too far in my head or something.  It wasn't that I was sad or stressed...well, maybe stressed...but I think it was that I needed to reboot and get in my groove, but I felt trapped.

We were doing genre work, and apparently I suck at film noir.  However, after a quick walk around the block and a cigarette, I came back at full force.  I decided to handle my unassuredness with complete confidence.  It worked.

Also, when it comes to genres, I discovered I can rock the Shakespeare.

Day 5

I realize that I enjoy my trips on the red line with my ipod.  Yeah.  I truly do. Also, the barista at Starbucks made my mocha a double, just for the hell of it.  And it was wonderful.

Day 4

Today was pretty uneventful.

Paul McCartney's "No More Lonely Nights" was playing while I was shopping at Menards for paint and bathroom faucets.

I was pushing my cart, singing along outloud.  Then I realized the irony:  I'm totally moving out on my own.  So, more often than not?  My nights will be lonely.  Funny, really.

I do, however, feel like my paint and faucet choices have been approved by Sir Paul.  So that's good. (For the record, they've been approved by Lionel Richie as well...)

Day 3

I closed on my house today!  I own a freaking house!  Holy shit.

Also, I realize I look a little, shall we say, constipated, in this picture.  I assure you I'm not.  That's my "Oh-my-gosh-I-can't-believe-this-is-acutally-happening-I'm-so-excited!" face.

P.S.  This year for my birthday, I got a HUGE blemish on my chin.  I guess it helps keep me young?  The acne, I mean?  Sheesh.

Day 2

Spent the majority of the day doing laundry and packing.  Yeah, I'm buying a house.  Talk about becoming a grown-ass woman, right?

Realized a few things:

1.) I have way too many shoes.
2.) I've lost the urge to wear high heels...like ever.  There's one pair I will wear, but they're Aerosoles...so they're totally comfortable.
3.) I have a hard time parting with near-empty shampoo and conditioner bottles.  I threw out about 10 of them when packing the bathroom. 

Oh yeah, I close on my house tomorrow.  Nervous, excited, and so very, very ready.

Day 1

Took a cab back to my car after hanging out at iO all night.  The cabbie got a little lost, and we ended up driving behind a Bank of America where I saw a young punk couple sitting on the sidewalk.  Well, the male counterpart of the couple was sitting.

The female was lying on the sidewalk, puking her guts out.

I then realized there were many things I wasn't going to miss about my youth and my early twenties.  The inability to hold my liquor being one of them.

Cabbie dropped me off at my car, and stopped the fare meter early, so I wouldn't have to pay for the time he took to reroute.  Happy birthday indeed.

Birthday

The first song I heard as soon as I turned 29 was "Let It Be" by the Beatles. Nice.

Anyways, so I was standing outside work, taking a smoke break when a guy in my building came out with his 2 dogs, Candy and Wiley.  I see them a lot when I'm out there.  The dogs are ridiculously sweet and the guy is nice.  Older gentleman.  Blue collar Chicago guy.

So of course, when I see him he says, "How are you?"

"I'm good.  It's my birthday!"

"Happy birthday.  Any big plans?"

"Oh, I'm actually interning tonight at iO.  Improv stuff."

His response was priceless:  "Oh.  So you're an art babe, too.  Nice."

We chit-chatted a little longer.  He told me he liked the rain because it helped the trees he planted around our building.  When he left, I looked around at the trees.  It was the first time I really noticed them.  And actually, they're pretty beautiful.

The Prologue

On October 23, 2009, two monumental things will happen:

Saturn will have made a its first full orbit around the sun from where it was in the sky at 12:22am on October 23, 1980.

I will turn 29.

I'm not going to explain what this means in detail (if you're really curious, check out this link: Saturn return).  Just know, it's a big year...a big time for change...and a time I'd like to keep a full record of.

That said, I've decided to write one entry for every single day of my 29th year, beginning on October 23rd...my 29th birthday.

They won't be long entries...typically.  A picture and one short story from something that actually happened in my day.  Short, to the point, and hopefully interesting.

Here's an example:

Friday, October 16, 2009:


I was standing outside of iO tonight, just enjoying a cigarette before the Jam.  I noticed an older man stumbling towards me, and of course...he wanted to strike up a conversation.

"Hey Miss, excuse me," he mumbled.  "Excuse me.  Can I buy a cigarette from you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry.  I left them inside!"  (I lied.)  The man totally saw through it, so I backpedaled a little bit and dug through my pockets and gave him a Camel.

The man pushed his face very close to mine.  "You're so beautiful."  His teeth were yellowed, and his lips were cracked.

"Thank you, sir."  (I lied again. I just wanted him to be on his way already.  I was also convinced he was a little too drunk to give an accurate opinion on my appearance.)

The man grunted a little.  "I've never had one of you before.  I mean, a white woman.  I've never had a white woman before.  I hear you white women are good."

I smiled awkwardly and uncomfortably, hoping he'd leave.

"So are you good?  I bet you are," he continued.


"Um...I...well..." I couldn't think. "Um, my boyfriend thinks...I mean...erm." (I lied yet again.  The closest thing I have to a boyfriend is my cat Clio who is so infatuated with me that every night she digs in my hair and buries her face in my scalp.  Oddly enough, this is also the closest thing to a make-out session I've had in a while. But I digress. Arg.)

"Your BOYFRIEND?  You got a boyfriend?  Do you cheat?"  He laughed.  It sounded rough and thick, like he had something in his throat.  "You're not MARRIED...so, you know it's not the same."  

I smiled awkwardly again, sucking down my own cigarette as fast as I could.  I let out a puff of smoke, and through a courteous, albeit slightly fake, smile said, "I couldn't do that.  I'm an honest girl."

As the words poured out of my mouth, I could feel the irony of the entire situation swirling around me.  I'd lied to the man multiple times already.  But no matter.  He chuckled, reeled back a little, and strolled away.  

"You got me there, girl.  Good night!"

I finished up my cigarette while quietly laughing at the exchange, and headed back into the theater.

 That's the form.  A short little moment from my day...no matter how mundane, and a picture.  (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture from Friday night.)  First official post will be 10.23.09.  Stay tuned!

-T.