Finding a Voice

[kevhines]

Well I am home sitting at my computer visiting IRC for the first time all week and I figured I would start a journal.

I don't exactly what the tone of it will be, so for now I will be looking for a point to this whole thing. Once I find one, I may start a different journal to be more focused. For now, this will be random musings.

Nothing personal....at least right now.

I enjoy Temple of Doom quite a bit, and I have it playing on AMC even as I type this. AMC has like one long commercial break each movie. How the hell do they make any money?

Tommorrow I need to buy lots of cat food and other cat supplies. On Sunday I take Dusty (the 19 year old cat that wouldn't die) to a new home. After my Dad sold his house, we gave Dusty to Faye. She cared for Dusty for a number of years, but at one point could no longer do it, so I took Dusty. Now she wants Dusty back, and I can't say no. She pampers Dusty even more then me, so Dusty is in store for a long (2 hour) trip to her new home. Hope she doesn't puke too much.
Then next week I will begin cleaning up the cat hair all over my apartment. The best I could do until now was curb it. I expect I will find cat hair until the day I move out....if not beyond that.

Dusty does not care for Temple of Doom. She sleeps very soundly. All the better to keep me awak whenever I finally go to sleep.

I really wish my apartment was clean. Or decorated. But I am not good at either of those things. Its a sad state of an apartment. And I haven't even done my measly weak-ass cleaning in a while, so its just getting worse.

Thats all for this post. No voice yet.....

 

[kevhines]

Voice #1

Well, I came up with an idea for a journal. After talking with Dave Lombard last night about the fact that Hindsight was first started (in crude form) a year ago I decided to put down in a journal the journey Chris, Dave, and I went through to develop the Hindsight form.

This is definitely better then some of my initial ideas which would have at best made me look like a jerk.

So this short lived journal is dead before it started, but since the new journal is a limited one, I expect I will be back here with random musings, looking for a new idea to write about.

Go Here to Read about it: Birth of Hindsight

 

[kevhines]

I had to come in to work today before 9am. I work for a web development site, and one of the sites I work on was planning on sending out thousands and thousands of emails to people telling them to come to the site.
So I needed to be in, so if something went wrong, I could fix it. And since I usually get in between 9:30am and 10:30am, this would take a feat.

I made it in by 9:05am. Not bad. And nothing broke....yet.

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I stopped this journal when I got an idea for a more themed journal. It was finite, and now finished. Hope everyone enjoyed that. Now lets see if I can come up with another.

The only idea I have so far is one I would entitle: Filling Time

The theme behind that one is kinda pathetic, so I won't go into it unless I decide to start it in a moment of weakness.

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My sports teams are doing better then they have in a long while. The Celtics are the third best team in the Eastern Conference (sadly that is more of a slight against the East then bragging rights for the Celtics), the Browns had a decent year, and now the Red Sox look ok. They don't stack up great against the Yankees, thanks to the Yankees ridiculous pitching staff, but the Sox don't look bad. And Pedro won a game last night. I am not ready to declare him healthy - he only beat the Orioles, and even Sox lame pitcher Frank Castillo beat them - but it is a good sign.

------------

Am I one of the few people that wants to see Scorpion King? I probably won't see it, but only because I can't think of anyone who would go with me, and I don't like going to movie theaters alone. I figure the movie will either be stupid in a funny way, or medicore in a escapist movie since. Kinda like Blade II.

 

[kevhines]

Another night with no plans. Leaves me very ancy. Baseball Tonight is playing on the background, which helps, but a combination of no Red Sox game and aleady having watched Sportscenter makes it less interesting then usual.

--------------------

I'm having trouble focusing today. I got very little done at work, and now I can't really concentrate on anything at home. I tried to write a letter to a friend of mine that got married a year ago. I decided a while back to write long letters to good friends of mine after they got married, to let their wives know me slightly better, and also just to be nice. And most of those letters averaged 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pages. But I didn't even make it a page. And the letter is so overdue that I can't wait any longer. I figure a short letter is better then no letter at this point.

-------------------

Tommorrow I hope to join a gym. Or go for a free trial. Cross your fingers for me, cause I keep telling myself I will do this, and have yet to do it. Boredom may be what finally gets me to go.
I hope to move in the fall so I can't go to any gym that will force me to join for more then 6 monthes. I think I will go to NYSC just for the free week trial they are offering. After that I might be lazy and join, or I might go to Synergy, which looks lame, but I hear is much cheaper. They are both pretty close.

-------------------

My DSL connection is broken, so load times at home are so slow. And I keep getting disconnected because I can't seem to turn off my call waiting.
I left my DSL modem on all the time, even though I left my computer off most of the time. The adapter overheated and melted. Luckily Earthlink is sending me another for free. I was wondering what that high pitched noise was, but I never guessed it was a melted adapter (and possibly a fried modem)

-----------------------

Just recently found out that Rob Cordry and Ed Helms have gotten jobs at the Daily Show. That is great news. Rob coached me in Hello, Magic Suzie (we performed last summer at the late Freaks Local 413 Theater), and was just a great coach. On top of that he is hilarious, and is one of those guys who makes being funny look so easy.
Ed Helms was in my Level 2 and Level 3 at UCB. I am happy to count him among my friends, and he is one of the most talented guys I have met in a long time and damn nice. Its nice when people get things they deserve so much.
On the down side now I need to watch more Daily Show. For the most part the post-Headlines portion of the show never does much for me, but I think I just get bored by the fake news joke after a few mintues.
Maybe I will tune in later, and skip the first part just to get to see Ed and Rob?

--------------------------

10:40 - I have changed my alarm clock, but that is it. My Cell phone is still wrong and so is my wall clock. Obviously my TV and VCR are wrong too. Luckily computers are smart enough to set themselves. And my cell phones' display is not working that good, so I haven't depended on it for time in a long time.

--------------------------

I lost my connection while writing this. Luckily I had not hit submit yet, so I didn't lose this post. Actually this is not that entertaining a post, nor is very revealing. Maybe it would have been better to lose it?

-------------------------

Still looking for my voice...

 

[kevhines]

Depression sucks. Not a novel thought, but I am amazed how hard it can be to get out of it. Some people seem to have no problem getting out of depression. I am jealous of those people.
Being depressed is also one of those things that self-feeds itself. For me. I get depressed that I am depressed.
I also get angry about being angry. Makes it tough to break the cycles of bad feelings.
I also find when I am depressed I get bored very easy. I get anxious. I get restless. I can't focus for long periods of times on things. My mind wanders.
Keeping myself busy is the only way I know to get out of being depressed. Of course my inabilit to focus makes keeping myself busy very hard. And even if I keep myself busy it only allows temporary relief. I am simply keeping myself so occupied that I don't dwell on whatever is bothering me. If I do that long enough it goes from temporary to permanent, as if my brain is forgetting that I am depressed. In theory. I have trouble making it that far.
And even if I get away from the depression, I am not so sure I actually dealt with anything, and I don't think avoiding things is every a good solution.

But anything is better then feeling depressed. So I will take a bad solution over a good solution.

 

[kevhines]

Baseball and more depression talk

Still depressed...
Last night I was suppose to go see the Kids in the Hall. Well - I may have been generous with the word 'suppose'. I bought tickets back in Feb when asked to by my then-girlfriend who broke up with me a month later.
I gave her the tickets because I knew I'd find going to the show very depressing. Of course I didn't realize she would already be dating someone else by the time the show came around, and maybe I should have been more spiteful and just sold them over Ebay or something.
Anyway, thinking about all that makes me sad and angry and sad again.

Instead last night I went to the Mets game with lots of UCB folks. That was fun. Rob Lathan pulled off any amazing bit that fooled me far longer then I'd like to admit. I really thought he was confused over where we were sitting. Until he was stopped all the way on the end of the upperdeck did I realize he was just having fun with us.
It was a well timed bit, because the middle innings got dull. After Lathan returned the Mets rallied to tie up the game and we had an exciting extra innings game in which the Mets squeaked out a win.
That game was preceded by the Red Sox beating the Yankees 3 out of 4 times, which at this time of the year means very little. But its nice.
So baseball-wise things are good.

But to tie this post all together, a friend of mine from DC recently said: "Wow, if watching the Red Sox win isn't cheering you up, you must really be down."

 

[kevhines]

...and Justice for All

Lets take a break from my self-indulgent depression talk and replace it with a self-indulgent talk about my recent experience on Jury Duty.

Jury Duty

Enjoy! - and then when it is over, I will be back her with the mix of personal and random.

 

[kevhines]

while I work...

I am running a slow process at work, and can't do anything until it is done (well, I suppose I could do something, but I'd rather do nothing....so I will update this journal)

My Jury Duty journal is not over just yet.

For those of you that read (and based on VIEWS there are very few of you) I apologize for the lack of anything interesting in it. If you were hoping for a LAW & ORDER or the PRACTICE you came to the wrong place. Of course, when I went to Jury Duty I got warned by Diane Sawyer that I should not expect it to be like TV. She was right.

No one reads my journal. Thats fine. Here are some journals you should read:

My new favorite journal is The People Where I Work. These people are hilarious. Its well written. And I get the same joy out of it I used to get out of reality TV. Laughing at people I don't really know and will never meet.

Also read my brother's journal, Your One True Love .
I think its excerpts from an alternate universe Will, where he and alternate universe versions of the people he know do things. Sometimes with inanimate objects. Or my brother is just being silly. Either way its good.

Read Calhoun's stalker-esque Behind the Husk. I like a journal dedicated to someone else. Even if it gets creepy at time.

Other journals are good too, these have just been my favorites lately. I need to get a hook to get people to read my journal.

Goldstein's listing of names sickens me. What a cheap way to get people to read. I read it every day.
(ok...the graphics and horoscopes were cool...but the main reason I read it is that I am hoping to see my name. I feel cheap.)
Terry Jinn's daily beverage is clever too -- in its simplicity, even if the AIM transcript portion of it is slowly taking over.

How to replicate their success....I don't know.

 

[kevhines]

A few nothings...

My Jury Duty journal is over. Go read the whole thing.


Last week was miserable. Despite having Monday off I had to work 60 hours, (not to mention 5 hours total this past weekend), I missed both Celtics playoff games (and the Celtics lost) and I gave up on a rain delayed Red Sox/Yankee game a mere 30 minutes before the game started up again. Mind you - I was in a bad mood, and my patience was a at an all time low. Not to mention missing out on a fun Tuesday night because of the aforementioned insane amount of work.

This week should be better. I am taking Thursday and Friday off to go away. I should leave my cell phone off so no one from work can reach me. If I was smart. Which I am not.

My back hurt a great deal this morning.

 

[kevhines]

Hey. work is slow today. I have lost access to a database tool that I need to really get things done. So while people work that out, I guess I will add an entry to my journal.
----------------------------------------------------------

I went to a party on Friday Night. I don't like parties. Particularly ones where I know very few people. In this case I knew one person, and he was moving away, so I felt I had to go, to at least say goodbye.

But what happens to me at parties is I first talk to the person I know. But at some point they are going to talk to someone else. And now I am left with the task of talking to someone I don't know. At the early part of a party I will try. And I have the same forced awkward conversations I need to have with clients or people I work with. This is something I used to have to do a lot more at work, back when I traveled constantly as a consultant.

But even if I don't have to do it as much as work, the distaste of it has already been created. So generally I swiftly get tired of the task. If I genuinely have something to talk to people about I am more then happy to talk to them, but with strangers I don't have that topic. And after not talking to many people at a party I get pretty bored. And then I am ready to leave.

In the past when people have brought me to parties I end up feeling guilty for not having more fun. I know that if I get brought to a party that person will feel obligated to make sure i am talking and enjoying myself, but I hate the thought of burdening them with that task. They will come up to me, introduce me to someone, and then leave me to that conversation. And all is good for a few minutes. And then the conversation ends. We awkwardly part, and I am standing in the corner just watching again.

This might sound more dire then it is. I have been to parties I have enjoyed. But it generally require a fairly good size number of people that I already know and like. I don't find myself at those kinds of parties too often. Or so it seems. I could be blowing this all out of proportion.

Do I have a point? Um...no. Except I was bored at a party on Friday night, that would likely be considered a very good party by most people.

 

[kevhines]

Today I was in an odd mood. Talkative. I am not sure why. Sometimes I get talkative when I am nervous. Sometimes I am just in the mood to chatter on and on.

Frankly I talk too much a lot of the time - or so I think. I wonder if my friends can tell if I am talking more then usual? I know people that I don't know that well probably can't tell the difference.

But anyway I found myself very chatty today. About nothing in particular.

Maybe it's because work was dull, due to me waiting around on some inept Sys Admin people.

* * *

I walked by a naked man today.

Ok...he wasn't naked. He was wearing a plaid jacket. But aside from that he was naked. And his jacket was not buttoned.

I guess it should creep me out, but I think he was just changing his clothes, and it made me kinda smirk in a 'NYC rules' sort of way.

Neither of us reacted to each other. I didn't look away, nor did I do a double take after realizing that he was naked. We both just went about our business.

Way to go naked guy.

 

[kevhines]

I am reading lots of posts on the marathon and I am bored by them. Honest. Most of the posts says things like WierDass was good. Or Baby Wants Candy was good.

No offense intended - but I know. And likely most of the people reading this board know that. What are the hidden gems? The ones that I might not have seen. Or heard about. The ones no one else is talking about.

The crowds this year were insane. So many people. I wonder how many non-improvisers came? And I also wonder what non-New York groups thought?

Mullaney took a picture of me and my brother.

Will wanted the picture retaken because he was wearing his glasses. Pretty vain. And if we had seen the picture it would have been clear that I should be the one asking it to be retaken. I look half-asleep or drunk. Neither of which were the case.

I slept a fair amount this weekend, albeit at odd times. (Sunday afternoon and Friday evening. I didn't watch a lot of the marathon. For personal reasons. But I did get tech 6 hours. So I saw a fair amount. But it was from 6pm to midnight on Saturday. Thats a lot of shows, even if it likely pales next to most people's time at the marathon.

I don't really have a whole lot to add right now. Maybe later I will comment on the shows I did see ...but probably not. I will likely just lurk around the board reading what others had to say and keeping my highly opinionated thoughts to myself.

 

[kevhines]

Someone posted pictures from the marathon.
And they posted pictures of a show I was in: Magic Suzie

Let's take a closer look at the pictures that I am in:

This is the first scene of the show. Apparently Chris Gethard had removed his head from the rest of his body and was floating around the stage. I was in the scene and don't think I allowed that to fully impress me like it should have. Gethard is quite a talent!

Here it looks like Gethard is giving me some advice while I stand transfixed by his hair. Its kind doing a little flip in the front. I am obviously transfixed by it.

Here is one of my favorite scenes that I did in this show. I followed two scenes of Dave Lombard being shocked that people could see him. I came in and ignored Dave.

More people are on stage. Dave gets Jane to walk through his ghost body. Frankly if Gethard can remove his head from his body I don't see why Lombard can't actually have Jane walk through him. Different levels of commitment.
Meanwhile I sit to the side and continue to ignore everyone and look annoyed.
Teamwork!

The show ends much like it began. With me and Gethard once again center stage. I think here Gethard is reassuring me or perhaps falling in love with me. I can't quite tell.
Plus in the background Jane Borden has been stabbed by one of the other members. I am not sure who as I was facing the wrong way but I suspect it was Dave McKeel.

Hey- that was fun. I like talking about me.

My favorite line from the show was Chris Gethard talking to Dave Lombard. They were both ghosts.
The line (which out of context will be meaningless) was:
"Dude - you've got to quit blowin' on people"

 

[kevhines]

I am not a porn clerk....

Wow, so many journals. I had to go to page 4 to find my journal so that I could reply to it.

And this journal should be dissappointing to anyone new who wants to read it. Its mostly self-involved ramblings. Not even personal enough to prove interesting.

But I did two more finite interesting journals before, and as soon as I am inspired I will do another.

But today is not that day (and there is a temporary ban on new journals anyway) so....

* * *

Saturday I did my first show with a new group called Stomping Ground. I've been in numerous groups (both practice groups and performing groups) but all of them have stopped working for various reasons, so I am very glad to have another one to be in.

We just got together recently and our first show came up really quick. So we decided to perform a simple montage. I think that was a smart move because our show went really well. Everyone had good stuff and we left feeling good. Well, I guess I shouldn't speak for everyone, but I left feeling good about my work.

We performed at Surf Reality. Didn't get much of a crowd, but then I didn't advertise it much so I share that blame with everyone else. Surf gets great groups on Sat nights, I hope the people that aren't at the UCB or FlipSide, or what to check out a third venue head over sometimes. The more venues, the more shows, and the more shows the better it is for everyone.

* * *

the Theme to the new Ocean's 11 just came up on my MP3 mix. I like it.

* * *

The bagel place around the corner from my apartment closed this weekend for reasons beyond their control. That sucks. I am going to miss Hot Bagels. The best prices and best tasting bagels I have found in my neighborhood.

* * *

I have been teching This is Wedensday at the UCB. I don't go to the UCB as often as I once did and I tech much less often too, so anyone who wants to see my expert light changing and music playing should come by (or if you want to see a cool sketch show - that would be another reason to come by). Its on at 9pm.

* * *

I was going to get a haircut today, but I don't have the cash, and the money in my checking account needs to stay there to cover my rent check. Looks like I am charging meals this week and getting a haircut after my next payday.

* * *

I just read issue 1 of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (vol. II)
What a great series. It takes all the pulp and Victorian novels and places them all in the same world. The first volume dealt with the forming of the new team (there have been leagues in the past...or that was alluded to) to face some threats. Mina from Dracula keeps the team focused, and considering its members that is not an easy job. Dr.Jekyl, the Invisible Man, Alan Quartermain and Captain Nemo.

This volume looks to deal with an invansion from Mars. Its very fun to read the combination of all the different versions of Mars, including (but far from exclusivly) John Carter of Mars and the War of the Worlds.

Its written by Alan Moore (of From Hell and Watchmen fame) and is one of the most fun reads (either comics or prose) I have had in a long while (and I have been reading great stuff lately).

* * *

Ok, I am going to stop writing now, maybe I will play some online video games. Yeah...that sounds unproductive.

 

[kevhines]

voicemail

I came home last night to see that I had a message on my voicemail!

Caller ID only listed unknown calls, so I had no idea who it could be.

This was the message (it was kind of static-y, but clear enough):

"You going to the pisser?
Get me a drink?

No...Katie's going.

Anything with caffiene."

Thanks for calling!

 

[kevhines]

a conversation I had today

Jessica: "Normally I eat anything under the sun. Except two things."
Me: "Yeah?"
Jessica: "Tripe....and cantalope! HA HA HA HA HA"
Me (what I wanted to say): "Look just cause the water cooler is in your office now doesn't mean I have any more desire to hear your inane prattle."
Me (what I actually said): "heh"
Jessica: "Isn't that wierd?"
Me (coming back in the room because I felt rude leaving AS she was talking): "I guess"
Jessica: "I don't know why"
Me (coming back in the room, but not as far): "ok"
Jessica: "It doesn't make any sense"
Me (answering from the hall outside her room so I can get further away and not have to continue this non-conversation): "I guess not"

 

[kevhines]

A graphic heavy entry today. Sorry those you on dial ups and other slow connections.

* * *

I am going to jump around topic wise. There is some silly business, and some serious business. This entry has it all. First up: Pizza month.

Will asked me why I don't smile in Sean's pictures:

That is because I take Pizza month very seriously. This is not a friendly meal with Sean Taylor. This is a mission. And I take that serious. Sure I may joke around during the meal, but I'm all about getting the task done.

When I first heard about pizza day I told Sean to sign me up for every Tuesday. One of my friends from Austin Texas asked me why I was doing it. My response: "If a friend wants to do something as seemingly pointless as this, I feel it's my duty to make sure it happens"

I've also told Sean that if at some point in the schedule he doesn't have someone to eat with or someone cancels, or doesn't show to call my cell and I will jump in a cab and meet him. I won't let him fail.

This morning Porter Mason IMed me:

I'm glad Porter is combing these boards for lookalikes. But then this afternoon I got this IM

That combined with my brother's smile comment has made me rethink this whole pizza month. Perhaps I am not shouldering enough responsibilty. It is really being scrutinized!

* * *

I had a very sad dream last night.

In it I was dead, but a ghost. I was in my family's old house back in Danbury CT. I am not sure how I died, but it seemed like it was bigger then just me dieing.

Anyway, my cat Dusty still seemed to be able to see me. So I pet her for a bit, and the floated around. My Dad and younger brother were in the kitchen and they were very sad. My dad left and Brian started to cry so I hugged him and told him I was ok - and he seemed to be able to see me for a little bit. That made him feel better.

Very very surreal and sad. I dream a lot and most dreams morph from one thing to another. This dream morphed to me at a business table sitting next to Chris Gethard. I had applied to be a wrestler and the officals were decided if I was up to snuff. Gethard didn't seem to think I was.

That was an odd transition.

* * *

I have a large bruise on my upper arm. Where is it from?

I don't bruise easy. Running into a table or a door would not cause me to bruise. Generally something painful has to happen to bruise me. But I can't recall anything that happened to do that.

I had a show Sat night (with Stomping Ground - http://www.stomping-ground.net/ ) and I went to a wedding on Sunday.

If anyone saw me getting hit in the arm really hard this weekend please let me know.

* * *

The wedding I attended was a Jewish wedding. First one of those I have ever been to. They have a lot of traditions. But most of them involved dancing in circles, clapping your hands, and singing in Hebrew.



That's it for now.....I know I don't post much, but don't blame yourselves. I am just lazy.

 

[kevhines]

1 banana, 2 banana, 3 banana, 4

This Saturday Stomping Ground did two shows. I am not a big fan of doing two shows in the same weekend, let along two shows on the same day. I feel we split the already too small crowd that we are able to get to come to our shows. Still, we had two shows, and I enjoy playing with Stomping Ground so I was looking forward to both.

Our first show was at the DUMBO festival. (DUMBO = Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass).

On my way to the show I noticed a huge pile of bananas. Sean Taylor had been given a schedule of the events of the festival and it listed one event as 10,000 bananas. It was a statement on globalization and a free snack. I don't know what the statement exactly was, but I was hungry, so I went back to the pile of bananas with Kevin Cragg. No one was eating any bananas. I saw no sign, and no one seemed to be really paying any attention to this pile of fruit so I reached for a banana. As soon as I touched one a voice said, "Not until 4:30". There was a guy leaning against a wall who apparently had some sort of authority.

I walked back to do our show, thinking about bananas the whole time.

We had our show in the dark dark basement of a bar. We were missing Marian Rosin, but otherwise had the whole team. We were using a new opening in our show that we had worked on with our coach the night before. It didn't quite take the first time out, but as always there were some great scenes even in our uneven shows. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with the bluffing kidnappers.

Now it was time to get some bananas! We went back to the pile to see people eating and grabbing the potassium rich snack. I grabbed one and ate it right away! Happiness! Then Sean Taylor wanted to take a picture of the Stomping Ground people that were still around (Kevin Cragg, Chris "Iron Man" Butler, Sean Taylor, and me) and he wanted it to be a picture of us eating bananas. So I grabbed another. Then after taking a picture of us (first eating bananas, and then pretending to have all slipped on a large pile of a banana peels) I finished off that banana. I grabbed 4 more bananas and threw them in an I Love NY bag for later. I didn't get very far before I ran into a friend and offered him one of my bananas. Despite the large pile behind me he took one.

Chris Butler was racing off to see the last Corpa show, but Kevin Cragg, Sean Taylor and I decided to go eat a small dinner before our next show.

For the next few hours I offered my extra bananas to Kevin Cragg and Sean Taylor roughly 100 times. They always politely declined. At one point we ran into another friend of mine Mindy Magyar and her old roommate Clarissa. They also declined to take my bananas, but agreed to come to our 9pm show.

Our 9pm show was at the Kleptomania Festival in Times Square. Part of the classy establishment Show World it involved numerous groups. Stomping Ground was meeting at 8:15. We were sharing a slot with Firestorm and I offered everyone in that group a banana. Josh took one. 2 bananas left!

We stood around on lovely 8th Avenue talking about this and that while Erik Tanouye, Marian Rosin, and Chris Butler sang Steely Dan songs. At some point a man came up with a bag of groceries.

Man: Do you want some food? (pulls out a can of peas)
Everyone: No thanks. (no eye contact made)
Me: Do YOU want a banana?
Man: .....no, I am offering you food.
Me: I know. And I am offering you a banana.
Man:...
Me: Do you want a banana?
Man:......ok. (takes banana. Walks away)

1 banana left. We performed our show, going on after Firestorm. I think we have a very strong show, and our new opening worked much better this time out. Great crowd, and great reaction from people. It left me in a very good mood. I offered my remaining banana to all the people that were helping Erik Marciasak run this show. I offered it to Will McLaughlin and all the members of Monkeydick. Eventually after Monkeydick's show, and during the Jam I ate the banana.

It was a fun jam too. I used to make a running gag joke about two things improving any sketch. One of those was penguins. And penguins were featured heavily in this jam.

All in all a fun day. And I may have learned something about globalization, but I am not sure what.

 

[kevhines]

journal entry to plug a journal entry...

I have been dealing with pain in my hands. Repetitive Stress Disorder, although not Carpal Tunnel from what I can tell.

So I have not been IMing (That cuts why down on my typing) and am trying to limit my posting.

So why did I start a new journal? I don't know.

It's a journal about a fish tank in my office. It won't be updated every day, just because some days nothing interesting is going to happen. But I hope to update relatively often.
Still if you want to make sure you don't miss one I'd subscribe if I were you.

Fish Tank Death Match

It falls off the front page sooooo fast! There are too many Off Topic Journals. But it's definitely not about improv, so I am glad I didn't falsely start it in the improv section.

I hope you enjoy it.

Now to take an anti-inflammatory pill for my hands.

 

[kevhines]

Taxi Cab Driver Confessions

Friday night after going out for drinks with Birthday Boy Sean Taylor, my teammate Chris Butler and I decided to split a cab home. Both of us living on the East Side it was fairly convenient. We walked to 3rd ave where we hailed a cab, I glanced to my right and saw a girl hailing a cab as well. I offered her the cab we just hailed and she asked where we were going. I told her the Upper East Side. She said that we should all just split it as she was going to 60th and Madison. So we all piled in.

I told the cab driver we would be making three stops on our way to the Upper East Side.

Me: "First stop is..."
Butler: "30th and Lex"
Cab Driver: "30th and 3rd"
Butler: "no..I said Lex."
Cab Driver: "3rd"
Me: "Ok....and the second stop will be..."
Mystery Girl: "60th and Madison"
Cab Driver: "3rd"
Me: "....and I am going to 89th and 2nd"
Cab Driver: "That is fine."

So we rode to Butler's stop, The three of us talking about find apartments on Craigslist and roach problems. THen Butler got out.

Me: "Next stop is 60th...and I guess 3rd."

So we rode to 60th and 3rd. She got out and the second her door shut the cab driver said:

Cab Driver: "Bitch"
Me: "What?"
Cab Driver: "Did she even give you any money?"
Me; "Yeah. she gave me a few bucks."
Cab Driver: "I hate girls like that. Talking all the time."
Me: "I guess she talked a lot."
Cab Driver: "Did you know her?"
Me: "No. We just decided to share out cab with her"
Cab Driver: "She should have give you a blow job."
Me: ".......yeah."

And then I sat in uncomfortable silence for the rest of the ride.

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It did remind me of another conversation I had. 4 years ago I was living in Morrisville, PA. I had a consulting job where I had to travel constantly. Usually I drove to the Philadelphia airport and left my car in a parking lot, but on one occasion for some reason I was using a Car Service. As I rode along the driver and I made polite conversation. Where was I going? How long would I be there? Why was I going?

Driver: "Do you travel a lot"
Me: "All the time."
Driver: "That is great. You must have a girl in every city."
Me: "Um....no. I have a girlfriend here. In Philadelphia"
Driver: "Oh......so you just use prostitutes."

That wasn't a question. In his mind it was an either or proposition. If I traveled all the time, I either had multiple girl friends or used prostitutes. My response?

Me: ".....yeah."

Which made him happy and he told me stories about other guys he used to drive who had multiple girls that they liked better then their wives/girlfriends.

I never used the car service again (more because I wanted the freedome to drive right over to my girlfriends after I got back in town and less because I didn't enjoy the conversation).