In the year 2000....

This morning thanks to a segment on the Today show, I discovered this: www.futureme.org.
Write yourself a letter and date it twenty years in the future! Imagine your surprise when you totally forget that you did this and you're forty and you hear from your past-self.

Also, it's so perfect outside, almost my birthday, and this coffee is great.
BTTF,
Erin

GOOD MORNING!

When I was at Emerson, there was a period of time when I hosted a morning radio show on WERS called The Coffeehouse. It was pretty awesome - acoustic music, indie rock, some hippy music for the population that can't get enough hippy music. Those folks, by the way, aren't as docile as you'd imagine. They WANT to hear folk from the early 1970s and they're vocal about it. Anyway, it was a morning show in Boston and it started at 6am so I'd take the first blue line train from Winthrop, dodge the staggery AM crackheads, and make it to the studio by 5:40 or so. There was something alternately exhilarating and terrifying about this - being the first person to open up the station, being generally alone there with all that big equipment until 8am or so. But as scary as that was, I loved the independence of it.

This week, I've opted to start taking on opening shifts at Healthworks (the nice ladies gym for nice ladies- I'm pitching the slogan), and it's much the same feeling. There's a lot less stress involved as there are virtually no aging flower children berating me over the phone for playing too much Morrissey, but the excitement of being the first person up is still fresh. Three days in a row I've been Dunkin Donuts' first customer -- beaten on Monday by a shifty construction worker who left his car door open blasting JAMN 94.5. Never again, shifty. I'm first.

In this interim time, where I'm kind of filling in the employment blanks, I'm really excited that I've rediscovered the part of me that thinks sleeping 'till seven is for suckers. YEAH YOU HEARD ME. Just kidding. But I'm hoping that I can keep this motivation for early living going, maybe utilizing it for writing when there's a day when there's no sauna to turn on or Joni Mitchell to play.

Plethora of Awesome Crap

Thinking this morning about how inspired I am by all the people I know who are making wonderful things. I've always fancied myself a "creative" person, even when that just chalked up to having the most radical perspective drawings in Miss Meserve's 1st grade art class at the Willis School. As a creative person I've kind of always been drawn to other creative people and this morning I was reflecting on all of the kind of amazing, driven, and entrepreneurial ladies and gentlemen I have the pleasure of knowing. Here's a short list of creative stuff creative folks are doing:

Cindy Howes loves independent music! And she's managed to make a career out of it. Amazing!

Gus and Ruby: I know I've raved about this brand new small business before, but it bears repeating. Take a look at their website and if you're in NH, check out there store. I'm kind of obsessed with their paper, initiative, and business idea. Seriously, check out their little organizers - adorable.

Jess Barnett: My former co-worker, former roommie, and current friend I don't see enough, Jess, is a brilliant artist and is continually creating and marketing her work. When we lived in an apartment in Central Square she lost a coin toss and ended up with the smaller room which was always packed with drafts of her unique paintings -- hope she's got more room now!

Cut to Hollywood where 9 out of 10 of my Emerson classmates are doing one amazing thing (Ulterior Productions) or another (Easy Bake Lovin'). These folks have taken the reigns and started their own production companies to make the kind of work they want to make. What balls! I'm filled with admiration.

One of my more brilliant compatriots Neil Reynolds created, wrote, produced an original TV pilot, Unbalanced! It was directed and edited by Jeremiah Jordan and stars some of my very favorite people. Needless to say, it's going to be awesome, and Neil is an absolute inspiration for seeing the whole thing through from idea to completion. Go Neil!

And this is to say nothing about all the folks in improvisation and performance/writing in general who continue to tirelessly work and create hilarious, or moving, or ridiculous stuff. I think there actually may be too many of these ones to name. ALSO, the small band of idiot warriors (of which I am one) who have begun the tradition of trying to write a novel in the month of November. Crazy jerks, all of them -- literally, all these people are a little crazy, but there also a lot talented and very unafraid. Check them out! Buy their stuff, watch their videos, go to their shows, or write one yourself.

And hey, while we're at it, the Bastards are putting up a new sketch show in October! Omg!

To cap off today's blog spectacular - something pretty magical I grabbed from Neil's website:

A really good teacher

Mr. Shapiro was my drama teacher from 7th grade until high school graduation. He wasn't the first person to believe in me, but he was perhaps the most adamant. No excuses, no waffling, no bullshit, just do good work and do a lot of it. He died in 2001, and I'm pretty sure that today is the anniversary of his death. There's a whole big crop of us from Winthrop High School who were molded into the people we are today by a our teacher's caring, ass kicking, leadership, dedication, infuriating stubbornness, and weirdo obsession with Sophia Loren.

I thought about him just the other night after Ryan and I saw Fences at the Huntington Theater. Especially in the light of what I'm trying more and more to do, I think he'd give me the OK on my life, and that makes me really happy. I think some of the most interesting people in the world were Mr. Shapiro's drama geeks, and I'm proud to count myself among the jazz squaring, monologue memorizing ranks.

Mr. Shapiro, we miss you and love you. And as for me, I constantly wish you were alive so I could get your take on things. But I guess the only thing to do is just shut up and do good work, a lot of it.

quickupdate

Week by week, I'm attaining employment...working out pretty OK so far! Last week I taught a week-long improv camp for 5-9 year olds at IB and it was kind of amazing. Intense, because there were 17 of them and I almost lost my voice, but amazing. When a six year old nails a joke during "World's Worst"...that's what joy is made of, folks.

Next week I'll be working at Perkins School for the Blind doing some administrative stuff, so that should be fun. I temped there a week or so ago and it reminded me of Hogwarts in a totally delightful way.

We're off to BBQ city right now, so I'm running off. Have a glorious Labor day, especially if you're actually giving birth.

xo
erin

Blog in which I mention Senator Kennedy only once

Hey Friends and People who Like Blogs!

This year's eighth month has been all over the map -- sorry for the few-and-far-between blog posts. Just checking in now to give the ol "hey, I'm still here!" while I brainstorm something fascinating to write about.

Due to some unexpected twists and turns in my life-plot I'm currently on the search for work, and it's actually been a pretty rewarding experience. I guess sometimes you just wake up at 4am and know it's time to shift priorities. It happens with me that most of my revelations come to me this way, and I'd kind of love it if they were more the "quietly approaching during afternoon tea" type, but you take what you get. I finished my course work for my Masters degree this summer and it touched off a chain of introspection that's led me to where I am today. So, yes, I'm terrified about the
"no safety net" nature of my current job(less) situation, but I'm also optimistic and much more focused than I have been in years.

So for all of August's distractions and ridiculous boloney (and there's been greasy truck-loads), it's a strengthening transition. I guess this was a kind of personal and totally not funny entry...er...sorry. All the Kennedy coverage has me a little reflective, I think!

Can't wait until Hank Philipi Ryan makes this whole thing into a literary thriller....



Help me, Hank!!!!

Of Porches, Bike Paths, and Shrimp

When presented with the opportunity to get out of town this weekend I took it - hard. Friday night, we drove to Harwichport, where my family has a little, sweet, un-airconditioned cottage right next to a cemetery. I think I was probably creeped out by the location when we first started spending time down there when I was a kid, but now I'm pretty grateful for how quiet the neighbors are when they aren't rising from their early 19th century plots and feasting on brains. Which has hardly been a problem since '02. It's not as though Cape Cod is rural America or anything, but what a nice change of pace. The only problem was, because time was so limited, and 9am Monday so inevitable, we had to hurry up and relax, as it were.

The weekends' big wins include but aren't limited to:
*A nearly 20 mile bike ride from Harwichport to Orleans from which my body has yet to fully recover
* Dining outside on the deck at Clancy's where they may play Billy Ocean, Sheila E., and Prince, but they also have a gorgeous river view and GIANT SHRIMP
*Naps
*Meltaways
*Watching a multi-generational European family furiously playing mini-golf.

On Sunday as we watched an elderly local couple eat soup and Chardonnay at the 400 Club I mused about just moving to the Cape, working here:

..and calling it a day. Doesn't sound too bad to me at all.

But then there's all the nagging business about comedy, aspirations, pipe dreams, etc. But every time I go down for a few days I just want to stay...to go to the beach, bike ride, read a bunch of books that I won't be quizzed on, and eat some GIANT SHRIMP.

School's In For Summer

Well, this Monday is kind of the pits. After a very nice weekend that entailed bbq, movies about the moon, a trip to the SALEM WITCH MUSEUM (highlight), and very pretty walks -- Monday has come into my life like a rotten salad. The kind of thing you pay too much money for and then try to pick out all the not-brown lettuce so that you at least have something to eat.

I have to put most of the blame for this on the fact that this month begins my very last MAT course at Simmons. I showed up on Thursday to the first class only to be informed that Tuesday was actually the first class. Yes, the website says differently, but there was a magical email list from which I was clearly omitted. Entirely my fault, or so declares the universe. I'll curtail this train of thought right here so we don't go down a dark and whining road. So, I was thrown into that situation pretty abruptly. It kind of felt like one of those nightmares when you're on stage and you don't know any of your lines. Everyone else in the class had received information about the obscure editions of particular books that they needed to order in advance, so I couldn't even just go to the bookstore and pick up what I needed. Nightmare.

It will be an interesting course, however dis-associated from anything I'm currently doing or pursuing in my daily life. And it only lasts a month. And then I'll officially have my Masters degree. But, it looms like a big fat raincloud over July.

Here's when I change my attitude and power through it. OK DONE! It's going to be great. I think I'm going to a spa once I'm done with mom and sister, that'll be a nice carrot.

So Monday, screw. You can't take this away from me:

No Goat

It wasn't always raining. I really do have specific memories of days, this Spring even, that were sunny and dry. I want to be outside today, but in the weather of some previous, sunny day. I actually would really like to go hiking.

If you're my mother and you're reading this, you're a very petite, intelligent public school teacher. Also, you're shaking your head and picturing me at six years old, terrified and furious on a rickety bridge attraction at Storyland. There was a lot of anxiety involved with that specific rickety bridge. I remember, very clearly, having the thought "This bridge is poorly constructed. I'm going to fall and die and I don't understand why my parents are encouraging me to walk across this bridge, which is clearly...rickety."

The fact that the "rickety" part was supposed to be the "fun" part escaped me completely. It just seemed like a trick to kill dumb kids. That day, in having a good laugh at my difficulty on said bridge, my dad remarked "she's no goat!"

And, oh man, did that stick. You know how you get labeled as being really good or really bad at something when you're a kid and it becomes woven into your identity? Well, for years and years I negative self-talked myself out of any situation that would require the physical dexterity to climb or balance on something. Those years of gymnastics classes were great, by the way.

In the beginning of this summer, however, I was asked to go for a hike and, feeling empowered and trusting that my companion was a specifically non-judgmental individual, I said yes. We went up to the Blue Hills and started walking. True, I thought I was going to die in the first 15 minutes, but then it leveled out a bit. It was actually a pretty challenging trail (we thought we took the easy one...we were wrong)but I handled it well. It was such a feeling of accomplishment to succeed at doing something that I'd kind of assumed I'd be terrible at. A really great day. Maybe the best day of the year for me so far.



I did freak out once, but it was because we saw a mouse. Then I promptly realized that a mouse belongs in the forest, and I kind of don't. So...you know, get over it.
I'm still no goat, but I'm also not a nerve-wracked six year old at Storyland, which is an upgrade.

So I'd like to go on a hike today. Or go to Storyland.

Of Saturday, Sunday, and Beer Can Trophys

I feel compelled to break the mold a little bit here and do a kind of standard weekend recap type of thing. Why? Because it was awesome.

During the day on Saturday I went to Improv Boston to see the premier of Michelle Barbera and Jacob Lipcon's pilot Our Living Blue Planet.


It was completely fantastic. Featuring lots and lots of the funniest people I know and months and months of really hard work, this show is not to be missed. It was a lovely afternoon. There was even lemonade. There were even babies! Really cute ones. Just, I mean, how else would you want to spend a Saturday?

From there, the Bastards packed up and we drove off to Providence, RI for the Providence Improv Festival. We got a nice 8pm slot in a little space called The Speakeasy and got to watch our New Hampshire compatriots Stranger Than Fiction do a very fun short form set before we went on. The audience was lovely, and we had a killer time. Just being jerks, doing scenes, it was the most fun.

This year at the improv festival, Mauro and the gang made it New England exclusive, and added in a competitive component. The top six groups (who could make it the next day) were announced that night and both Bastards and our cousin group (I think we've decided that's what we are to each other) Three Hole Punch were asked to return on Sunday. We were first up at 7pm and had lots of fun on stage for our 15 minute semi-final slot. Our "round" came to a close and we were asked, based on audience vote, to stay for the finals.

Three Hole Punch had a great set featuring some very savvy ski ball playing, and Improv Jones who were hosting the festival did some very exciting, fast scene work.

The final performances were a blast. Just such good energy, such a great theater, such an excited crowd. Ryan and Tucker played a surgically conjoined assistant stylist, that's pretty much what I'm taking away from the show and holding in my heart forever. So we "won" the festival! (?) I don't know if you can really "win" a festival, but it was a great time and an true pleasure to meet so many great folks, see a lot of outstanding improv, and eat Cuban sandwiches.

Thanks Providence, Mauro, Improv Jones, and my gorgeous Bastards.

Love 'em

The kids in the back are the BEST.

I found the PS22 channel on Youtube and I'm absolutely transfixed. These kids are magical.

Happy Paper

Sick of baking in that hot sun?

Well, while the physically manifested cloud of our collective discontent hovers overhead, allow me to poke some holes in the dismal by introducing you to Gus & Ruby.



My friend Samantha and her biz-partner Whitney have started their own business in New Hampshire making very pretty paper things. Gus and Ruby are the names of their respective puppies. I love the idea of two smart, creative women figuring out what makes them happy and just DOING it. And look at their stuff! Is it just me, or can nothing brighten your day like gorgeous paper? Maybe that's just me. But I love browsing through their site and reading about their adventures in indie paper-making. Inspiring!

And if you take a look through their links you'll find a bunch of other amazing independent businesses creating gorgeous things and making a living off of them. Pardon the cliche (or don't, and never forgive me for it. Snub me in public for it, if you must, I understand.)but it's kind of the American Dream, isn't it?

So, it begs the question. Who wants to move someplace rural and start a business with me? My skills include* good high fives, cutting bangs, growing out bangs, writing stupid crap, and compassion.

But honestly, if you need wedding invitations, birth announcements, business cards, or special parchment upon which to write me a love letter, check out Gus&Ruby.

Love, paper, and rain boots,
Erin

*I paused for no fewer than ten minutes trying to think of what I could conceivably have as a marketable skill. So much education, so little ability to knit.

Running Without Puking

Hey world,

Happy rainy Monday! If you're as excited as I am then you're probably asleep too.

It was a busy, strange weekend that entailed a graduation party with lots of relatives, lots of 22 year olds (my sister and her friends are awesome), a concert, rain, ugly MBTA rudeness, and a very nice Father's Day. Also, abject poverty. My own.

A mixed bag indeed! But one thing that's been a constant good is the fact that I'm back on the fitness wagon. Summer, albeit grey and damp, has been a kind of inspiration for me and so I have signed back up for Weight Watchers and just completed my first week. Also, I've re-committed to the gym - this time with an actual goal. A little googling for "learning how to jog" brought me this link

Looks simple enough! Although, I've never ever been able to run in my life, I'm going to give this an honest shot. I've already started and so far so good (knocking on wood). The last time I ran a mile was in middle school. I ran fast! And hard! I finished in about 8 minutes! And then threw up everywhere and didn't feel right for a few hours. So, taking it slow. Very very slow.



Hopefully in 10 weeks I'll be able to run a 5k. It's worth a shot! I'm exclamation mark heavy today. Overcompensating for general malaise, I think. Now I'm going to count the quarters in my pocket to see if I can afford Subway -- THANKS SALLIE MAE!!!!!!!!!!

See you on the T, smile please,
Erin

Jillian and ED: or Please God No

Most Monday nights will find me in front of the TV yelling things like "NO! STOPPIT! SHUT UP! IDIOT! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOUR FACE!"

I'm a Bachelorette fan.

I will direct you to Ms. Selena Coppock's blog for full background and a run down of the season thus far. She goes into all the gory details that I haven't the stomach to re-live.

One might wonder, why blog about this now, Erin? The answer is that last night on the show, a line was crossed that I've never seen crossed before. The Bachelorette dropped the ED bomb.

(ED, the guy.)
No not Ed, the attractive Tech. Consultant from Chicago who chose to leave the show because his job at home was in jeopardy. ED. Erectile Dysfunction.

Let me explain.

It's customary in the later episodes, as said Bachelorette is nearing the end of her ill-advised journey and narrowing her choices for future ex-husband, that there are "overnight dates". Yes, this is just exactly as gross as it sounds. She essentially spends the night with two or three different guys (in the course of a week)to explore the more intimate parts of the perspective future ex-husband relationship.

Personally, I can't wrap my head around this, but America seems to think it's A-OK.

So, at the end of last night's episode in the "Later this season, on The Bachelorette..." teaser, they set it up. To summarize...

"on their overnight date in the fantasy suite, what happens when a certain one of our bachelors encounters a certain problem"...WAH WAH WAAAAHHHH *clown nose honk noise*

Cut to Bachelorette Jillian in tears (again):
"I can't believe this happened. With the one person where everything seemed perfect!"

Has this level of intrusion and embarrassment ever occurred on television before? They're going to broadcast some poor dope's impotence on national TV. I am blown away. And America watches. And so do I.


So, clearly, we all have to tune in. I hate myself. I hate The Bachelorette. I love The Bachelorette.


Also, just realized it's Bloomsday. Which exists, essentially, on the opposite end of the cultural spectrum. Oh, life in the aughts! So kaleidoscopic and gorgeous!

Chick Magnet

This year I participated in my first 48 hour film project, and I was very very lucky to work with the geniuses of World From Scratch Productions (Jim and Rheri Kenney). It was a last minute thing for me, just about 30 minutes of work, which is dwarfed by the gigantic amount of time, effort, and talent poured into this little film by the rest of the crew and cast.

They made something lovely, and I'm so happy to be even a teeny, iddy-biddy part of it. Last night they held the "Best of" screening. Aforementioned geniuses Jim and Rheri won for Best Editing and the extraordinarily talented Ryan Petti took the "Best Performance" award...certificate...thing.

Here's the link I love it. So much.

Chick Magnet from Jim Kenney on Vimeo.

A Little Amazed

I think a work of art is supposed to mark you, probably. In some way make you consider a thing, or bunches of things, in a different light. Sometimes maybe a work of art is just supposed to be a mirror, or maybe sometimes it's supposed to drop your jaw. This documentary checked off all the above boxes for me.



You may have seen this, or heard about this, or been to Broadway and sat in the audience during the musical adaptation of this. Or maybe you have no idea what the deal is here. But Grey Gardens is the documentation of two women -- a mother and daughter -- as they reach the psychological/economic bottom after a very long topple for the upper strata of American aristocracy.

The documentary, as I mentioned, has been made into a musical, which is good. But having now seen the source material, I can't believe how much more effective the raw footage is without the musical numbers and planned comedic interludes.

Do you think my costume was alright for Brooks? I think he was a little amazed.
Cameraman: I think he's probably seen it before...
Oh no, this is the revolutionary costume. I never wear it in East Hampton...



Little Edie (above)is an absolute fascination and I could listen to her and watch her forever. Apparently an HBO adaptation has come out starring Drew Barrymore. I'm confused. But who knows, maybe it'll be brilliant.

Anyhow, go rent the documentary. Best with Laughing Cow Cheese, red wine, and thoughtful company.
xo
Erin

Positively Thursday

Some days have a shine to them. A feeling of positive connectedness that isn't really something you can readily touch or define. Of course, on the flip side some days are like the inside of a cat-lady's toilet, and that seems to be what we talk about more often. It's so much easier to share negative experiences and collective pains in the collective ass. But yesterday, or last night more specifically, happened to be the former. It had a nice shine to it.

I always have a fun time on Thursday nights. Our Bastards Inc. shows are a highlight of my week and I'm really fulfilled and happy with the way we're working. Last night, however, seemed to have a little something extra. We hosted short form improv group Flaming Awesome and the lovely stand-up comedian Maria Ciampa - both of whom frequent our stage, but both acts seemed very new and filled with dynamic energy.


It was thrilling to watch FA play really hard and smart and with a new confidence.

And Maria, oh man, she killed.

I think I'd heard some of her material before, but it felt like the first time. I was crying laughing and squirming all at the same time. She was brilliant.

I was especially excited about the way our Bastards set went. As I said, it's always fun and I'm almost always fighting to keep a straight face. Matt, Ryan, and Taylor are pretty much the most skilled and original improvisers I know (no offense to you other wonderful people who may be reading. You're tops!) Last night it felt very much like we were all on this same, big, weird page, and I left the theater feeling positively lifted up.

It's just so nice when you have a night like that. Now we're writing some sketches for our upcoming sketch show, and I'm exercising another part of my brain. It's a good, creative time.

Tell me about the good creative things that you're doing. And at the risk of sounding like a desk calendar from HR, choose to think about things that make you happy today. They are there, I guarantee you, you might just have forgotten about them. Especially if your cubicle smells like the inside of a cat lady's toilet.


With love, and apparently in danger of turning into some kind of hippie,
Erin

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

Dear friendlies,

This feels a lot like tip-toeing back into a room you shouldn't have left or something...but hi! Are you still there?



Please pardon the radio silence as life is life and it does what it does, sometimes kind of un-documentable, as it were. But I don't want to twitter (though no offense to those of you who twitter...twitter away! Twitter hard.)so here I am. We are. Here again.

I'm going to try to write semi-regularly, or regularly maybe. There's lots going on and it's all pretty wonderful. Things like dentist appointments and Pixar Movies, and reality TV, and comedy shows, and writing, and plans, and happiness, and funny ideas about higher education. So, lots.

Consider this a re-launch? Or something? I changed the format, so you know, big doings...

xoxo
Erin

Joint Birthday: Hard Left

These guys....

25 Things or Narcissus Flexes his Gorgeous Muscles

Everyone on Facebook is doing it, right? It feels a little bit more intimate here...

1. This morning I woke up with the word “somnambulate” in my head. I hadn’t any idea what it meant so I looked it up online. Now I wonder if maybe I “somnambulated” last night and got some weird psychic vocabulary message about it.

2. I dyed my hair dark brown last night.

3. In related news, I’m going grey real early. I mostly blame my previous stint as a teacher in Revere.

4. In related news, I’m finishing my Masters degree in August after a long hiatus.

5. I started wearing earrings on a regular basis this year, and I’m delighted with how much more poised I feel when I am wearing them.

6. People often ask me what perfume I’m wearing and my initial reaction is always to say “Michelle Barbera” because it’s her perfume. By “her perfume” I mean, I admired how she smelled for so long that one day I finally just asked her if it was okay if I bought the same perfume that she wore. She was very gracious about the whole thing and not nearly as creeped out as I imagined she’d be. She’s my perfume icon.

7. I miss a lot of people who have passed away, but the only one I want to call on the phone all the time is Neil Shapiro, my high school drama teacher. He was really awesome in this really fallible, human way. I miss him all the time.

8. The older I get the more I realize that the only “stupid” people are the ones continually calling other people “stupid”. The best way to be a human is to develop some perspective and allow yourself to be humbled when humbling things occur. Again, something I’m learning.

9. I started going back to church after Christmas last year. Long-term implications are still up in the air.

10. In quasi-related news, I think gay people should be able to marry and have kids and do everything in the world that straight people get to do, and it makes me very angry that other people think differently. It’s one of the only things I get all huffed up about.

11. My friend Braden is a constant source of inspiration to me. He’s a brilliant director and writer and he pursues his dreams with a single-mindedness that no libra in history has matched.

12. Alison Royer has taught me more than I ever thought she’d teach me, just by being who she is. I thought she was going to be a real handful when I first met her, but she’s one of the wisest people I know. Besides, of course, the fact that she read the entire Twilight series and didn’t catch on to the fact that Jacob and his tribe are Native American.

13. I love Thursdays and thank Matt, Ryan, and Taylor for destroying me with their brilliance every week.

14. Don’t know where I’d be without my Renee. Everyone should have a tall best friend who lives in New Hampshire.

15. My family’s dog, Louie, makes the most unbelievably terrible smells in the world. I’ve never ever smelled anything so bad as what can come out of that dog. That being said, he’s cute.

16. I’m real bad at keeping track of things I’ve written. I have no idea where 1999-2007.

17. I’m a good swimmer!

18. I ran the mile in 9^th grade in 8 minutes. It was maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was trying to impress my dad. I threw up directly thereafter and still had to go to math.

19. I was a varsity football cheerleader in High School.

20. I was also a hockey cheerleader.

21. I was also VP of my class, and co-president of the drama society.

22. I was also obsessed with my resume.

23. I wrote my first play when I was 16. I would be really embarrassed to see/read it now, but people seemed to like it at the time.

24. I like reading other people’s blogs, even if I don’t know them. If you have a blog, I probably read it every so often and love it.
25. I am deeply grateful.
    

don't fall in!
xo
erin

Hi Again (or, Allegory Involving Debt)

You know when you forget to make a payment on your student loans and you make a mental note to write and send the check as soon as you get home on a given day? But then, after dinner with a friend and a long T ride home, you just make some tea and go to bed, completely forgetting about that check you need to put in an envelope and send to the loan company? It might be a few days later that you you remember it makes you kind of embarrassed so you put it off for so long. And where are the stamps? There are no stamps, you have to buy them, which is something that you try to remember to do. And fail. Eventually it gets to the point where you're getting phone calls and you know the number when it comes up on your cell phone and you hit silence every time. This is because you're ashamed to talk to the debt collector, because he/she will judge you. It's not even like you don't have the money in your account, you totally do, but it's become this monster thing that you don't want to deal with because it's symbolic of your childish irresponsibility. And you're 27, and should really be able to face these things and deal with them but you feel helpless and overwhelmed which is a thing that's alternately scary and depressing??

That's kind of how I feel about not writing here for a long time.

So, hi!



Sorry for the long hiatus. I don't know how with how much regularity I'll be updating here, but I'm going to try. Things in my life continue to shift and turn and change, and sometimes it's a challenge to strip it all down to a quick story, and make it palatable enough for general consumption. But I'll give it my damnedest effort.

Human experience is so varied. There's so much hideous and so much gorgeous. I'll try to direct us closer to the shiny stuff and keep out of the mud.

Chin ever up,
Erin