Today a large majority of all my childhood dreams came true, i.e. our lot spent a good two hours running rampant in the costume closet at Shakes & Co. My Brutus looks a right badass in a terribly dashing cream-and-red English navy longcoat, trousers tucked into jackboots, a Roman helmet, and a rapier; I also tried on full armour, a proper peaked hat, some over-the-top rocker gear, thigh-length red leather boots, full Elizabethan getup, and a few other things. The whole bunch of us were little kids playing some kind of professional, wildly out-of-proporition dress-up room by room.

Really, I'm just having a ball. :)

Life update - I am in the middle of nowhere, Massachusetts chilling at Shakespeare & Co. Although I didn't get into the programme I auditioned for due to me being a stranger to the company, space being limited, etc., I've gotten into a three-week training thing for people slightly younger than myself, i.e. I'm the only proper driver in the bunch, which as it turns out is mostly still cool. Not ideal, maybe, but I'm in the company and doing Shakespeare. We're doing monologues, scenes, and sonnets and having a fabulous time - lots of Linklater stuff, endless in-depth chat about feelings, absurd theatre games, etc. Our sub-company's being taught by proper Shakes & Co actors, which considering my fanliness is more than a little fantastic, and is also entitled to free tickets. Seeing Twelfth Night with my favourite actor playing Sir Toby Belch tonight fo' free, what.

I'm staying with a blues musician up in Lee, MA, which is also cool and means that I have the convenience of endless guitar strings provided when I decide tuning down two octaves after recently changing my strings is a good idea. Otherwise, I am rather lonely so far in that my day essentially peters out at 3:00 once I get out of S&Co seeing as I know no one in the area, but I have the car (aha) and have been doing some exploring, so all is still well. It's quite nice up here, if a bit desolate, and I've made friends with the bookstore owner in Lenox and gotten a decent deal on a paperback Marlowe collection out of it.

Hoping everyone is well and things. I'm sorry I haven't been around.

WHY YES, I WAS THIS CLOSE TO A CERTAIN ROBERT ZIMMERMAN LAST NIGHT.

More pictures here, although I'll admit I only got a few good ones due to the rain and the rather enthusiastic security guards at McCoy Stadium (ahahaha). Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp also played, although Bob, of course, stole the show utterly, entirely, and absolutely. It was one of those shows when you don't realise two hours have passed until they do - I was more caught up in the music, him, everything, than I have been in anything else in a very long while. One of those nights, you know? It poured buckets the latter half of the show and we stood for five and a half hours, but nobody gave a damn, and, surprisingly enough, Bob was in rare form and having a ball. The guy next to me said he'd been to a million Dylan shows, and he'd never seen him having such a good time. :) Lovely.

Case in point - he dances the fucking can-can.
And the werewolf voice was delightfully endearing, as was the amount of smirking he did.

Tomorrow, I'm going into New York City on my own. This involves getting up very early, then a car, two trains, and a taxi through two major cities, Hartford being slightly more worrisome, funnily enough. Haven't gone this far before by myself - silly, isn't it? I've flown myself in a plane to Boston, but I haven't actually taken the train down alone before. And, naturally, now it's late and I've got the house to myself this weekend, haven't even got the dog to keep me company, so I'm holed up with the seventh Star Trek movie (aha, podgy Shat) and a cup of tea. Still a bit lonely, really, but Ryan's meeting me for brekker very early in the morning and I plan to dress up like Jimmy Dean walking into a bar for the train tomorrow, so no real worries.

I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up with my f-list, truly. I've been doing some real writing that's not hopelessly self-indulgent fan fiction, the horror, and then I've been watching movies and going to see too many plays and things like that. The other night I went to see Shakes & Co's Hamlet again and it was damned breathtaking. Then I went to McDonalds for the first time in five years and bought myself chicken nuggets and felt sick soon after. Classy.

Here's a little bit of ridiculous: it's been three hundred and sixty-four days since I got my driver's permit, and I've just managed to get my licence today. I mean, Christ. However, if you recall a year ago tomorrow, I sent up some good thoughts to the Entwistle whilst taking the permit test due to the date, and today I did the same and, after a miraculous bit of luck, went from having to take the road test in September to squeezing it in today. Now I've got the bit of plastic and don't have to worry about sneaking out to ruin the transmission on my dad's car. Lovely. :)

Goodness, I haven't been on here in a while! Watched the premiere of Merlin, some particular people might like to know, heh, and I thought it was alright, although I'm hoping for some improvement in the writing particularly in the near future. I'm also going to see Shakes & Co's Hamlet on Sunday, I believe, which essentially completes (or begins?) my summer, and for once in my life, I am not severely economically challenged. Life is more or less better than okay, and considering that that's begun to feel a novelty, I'm quite pleased.

Oh, and I'm going to a Star Trek convention to meet Leonard Nimoy. Mofos, you jealous. Fuck. >>

I find it slightly bizarre that I've been halfway obsessed with the opening riff of Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" for about a month now. What the hell, but.

( Need me a Trek T-shirt - one, two, or both? )

So yes, work's started at the bike shop, and it's actually good fun for the most part. Hans is a delightfully cynical German bike mechanic who likes English punk, Zach's a rather fine-looking university type who's helping out for the summer, and Craig, my boss, hates carbon fibre and is one of the most easy-going store owners I've met. Looks to be alright indeed, and pay's not bad either.

There's some talk of seeing Bobby D! Anyone in the New England/NY area want to go?

Took my last exam yesterday morning (French), and here I am skipping the last day of twenty-minute classes. I just realised that it's beautiful out even though it's been raining these past few days. Graduation's tomorrow. I keep forgetting I have another year of high school to go - it's vaguely surreal.

I have reached a sort of curious blank. This weekend is packed with the obvious - graduation parties, end-of-the-year doctor's and dentist's appointments, SAT IIs, course obligations for next year, work schedules to sort out - and subsequently I haven't paused to actually accept that I have essentially three whole months stretched out ahead of me. I've been doing this for the past nine months, this repetitious rationalisation thing that gets me saying "Once I'm over this hurdle, I'll be done", and now technically that statement is holding true. Hard to believe, really, and therefore I'm feeling very little. Get back to me once I've slept.

On other fronts, my new computer - I've named it Spock, which besides being geeky is actually a very good name for a computer in more ways than one - and I managed to get the scooter running again after taking half the motor apart. Apparently I was a shameless scooting badass even back in the day. xD

( Can we discuss how this is my breakfast? )</div>
Anyhow! My new laptop - aluminium MacBook, thirteen-inch-screen, Leopard, etc. - is in a FedEx truck heading from Windsor Locks CT on up, apparently. No one is in my house to sign for it, so I need to get home but there's twenty minutes left of class and I've important-arbitrary things to do and I've got to get to the library before it closes and I'm just so bloody tired. Christ.

Eh. A week and a day left. It really isn't that much at all, plus I'm not failing Chemistry, plus I've tickets to see Shakes & Co's Hamlet again, but it's a rainy bland day and I've a mind to complain. However, I did finish a Ray Bradbury-esque story written in French yesterday, which was rather exciting - do check jackjonesie .

Off to the library, ho hum...

Really this post is just an excuse to use that icon. xD I'm harbouring some serious Spock-fancying, oh dear oh dear...

I have so much to do, and yet it's a beautiful day out and consequently I've spent the past two hours of my free period lying on the lawn watching Star Trek TOS. I'm writing a research paper on TNG for my Creative Arts seminar, so I'm calling it research and relishing the delusion that I'm in fact doing work and nobly struggling towards an A. Obviously, go-go boots and hilarious sound effects can be footnotes.

Sixteen days of school left - is it funny that I'm still in high school? I can't decide - and I've got five major projects due after the upcoming long weekend. Eh. At the moment, my priorities are terribly screwed up, so I can't be bothered to make a to-do list - although I do have to order a new computer within the week, that's essential. My screen's giving out, so there's a nice pixely band hanging out in the middle of the display. Hello, birthday money...?

Well look at that, I'm employed. The bike store my dad frequents asked me if I'll come do sales and repairs on weekends. Two other guys work there, meaning they sit around listening to The Clash and The Who for hours and occasionally sell a bike or two.

Cool. :)

Just when I began to think I had a life...I started watching Star Trek TNG every day instead of the odd weekend indulgence. Eh. I needed a decent guilty pleasure to happily fill my not-so-spare time with. It's keeping me vaguely sane, at least - it's tech week for the play, so I'm at school for fourteen hours dragging my sorry self through a script that really shouldn't be allowed to see daylight, much less a twenty-two person production.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes over the weekend! :) Spent it in NYC wandering around Soho and the Village - perfect. I even picked up vinyl!Quadrophenia fo' unheard-of cheap. Naturally, I'm dragging the birthday celebration on to next weekend with Thai food and flaming ice cream before opening night and then dinner with my friend Kim Sunday, not to mention getting to the new Star Trek with the Starbucks crew. Am I entitled to be elitist about the Trek fandom...? I feel as though the I-liked-it-before-the-movie rules are skewed when it comes to Trekkies. xD

Also...I had a dream last night that I went to see Waiting For Godot with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan in London. Brain's a bitch.

1. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is the most wonderful thing in the world.

2. ...GRANDPARENTS ARE SENDING ME TO IRELAND AND ENGLAND FOR TWO WEEKS IN JUNE, BITCHES AND HOES.

3. Is the plural of "ho" in fact "hoes", or does that inherently confuse it with the gardening utensil?

4. See #2.

:)

Thirty to ninety degrees Fahrenheit in the span of a day. I love Connecticut. >>

Got my hair cut for summer as well as some promwear today. Harhar. You'd think the year was almost out, but alas, all the upperclassmen have caught senioritis like it's the swine flu and we're dragging our arses like no tomorrow. :) Speaking of the swine flu, mother-the-ER-doctor's apparently had a hundred extra people per day convinced that they've got it. Oink.

( Hairchop (Yardbirds Jimmy, Jen?) )

Oh, and my Marlowe/Page presentation went absolutely fabulously. :) Got to talk about dear Kit and Jimmy for ten pages, then put together a rather terrifying Tamburlaine-ish monologue that went to a Page video. I'm going to try and film it, matter'fact, stay tuned and all.

I know some of you are following this in particular, so I didn't get Shakespeare & Co.

I don't really need or want to talk about it; I've already done my venting, so I see no use in putting it here. I did want to thank anyone and everyone who had their fingers crossed, wished me luck, or otherwise encouraged me in the past months, because that meant a great deal. Thank you, very sincerely.

Called in sick today to work on my Page/Marlowe project and spent most of the day listening to Led Zeppelin on our new sound ["entertainment"] system. Let it never be said that I am not a mofoing badass truantface.

Said mofoing badass truant is going to Shakespeare's birthday party tonight at Shakespeare & Co. :) Still haven't heard from them, incidentally, but perhaps I'll run into/corner Nigel and/or the people who auditioned me. It's Will's 445th, if you weren't aware, and it looks to be a pretty swinging party and no mistake. Three thunderous huzzahs for deranged theatre people and the Bard, I say.

On a less exciting note, the scooter's having issues starting, which is a serious problem considering this weather. Do a motor-dance or two for me.

We had our first class outside today. :) Wonderful, wonderful stuff. Well, hullo, spring...? Yes no maybe? Let's be a pal.

So, uh, after much pressure from various forces, I e-mailed Shakespeare & Company today about the results of my audition. They said they'd get back to me a week ago, I've kind of sort of been offered a summer job at a local music store, and I've almost gotten tired of checking my e-mail in five minute increments. Cross your fingers, please? I'm dying over here. :/

I won a haiku slam in my History of Japan class today, so have a spur-of-the-moment, indescribably deep haiku:

sitting in free block
someone just gave me Fun Dip
haha, dip, funny

Hello my Zeppelin-loving friends, I've a favour to ask.

I didn't get to mention this before, but I'm doing a fairly awesome project for my Arts Seminar class - essentially, we pick two artists, one in our field of concentration and one not, and create a final project combining the works of these artists as well as our own work. My two artists are the ever-fabulous playwright Kit Marlowe of Doctor Faustus and Tamburlaine fame and a certain James Page, better known as my very favourite guitarist. :)

The plan is that I write a monologue that's half excerpts from Kit's work, half original writing, and perform it as a reaction to an enormous projection of Jimmy wailing away on guitar behind me. Pant-wettingly exciting, neh? I thought so too. Here's where the favour comes in, though - I've got to put this Jimmy video together, and I don't have too many Zeppelin .MOVs or .MP4s that I can edit. Therefore, I need you (or your weird friends who listen to Stairway backwards every night) to send me the following types of files, if you've got them and are feeling generous:

Movies that...
1. Are of decent sound and video quality
2. Show Jimmy playing something acoustic or electric that's exciting, preferably with some pauses or tempo variety
3. Preferably have very little accompaniment, i.e. minimal Plant wailing - drums and bass are alright, but lots of vocals are no good
4. Contain dragon pants. (Optional but much desired for sheer sex factor)

:) If you can help out, I'll love ya for life and maybe make you a nice pressie or somefink. What say you?

Hello, dropping off the face of the planet is an amusement not to be missed. Y'all should try it some time - but sorrysorrysorry for not following up on things and not commenting and generally being a lazy bumfark. :) I still love you all.

No doubt I owe a few full-length post odysseys, but here are Some Exciting Things and Bare Essentials.

England photos. It was...well. England. :) Found a few schools I really liked and had a hell of a time to boot.

Made a professionally-recorded album (like, really) with my friend Izzy for her birthday. We call ourselves the Townshend Pirates and cover Attic Jam songs plus Floyd. There are loads more pictures on the way, but ta-ra for now. :D

I auditioned for Shakespeare & Company's summer program last weekend and think I did really quite well. :D Should be hearing this weekend or the next!

School did a lock-in sleepover last night and was on TV today, so I haven't slept in over forty-eight hours except for three hours on James' couch today. Whoooo. Also, the West Hartford IHOP makes wonderful French toast but the grimiest bacon you'll ever taste. My stomach's acting up.

And, naturally - seeing Kenneth Branagh speak in NYC the day before my birthday.

:D

Cheer-oh for now, bucks, and I promise not to be so neglient in the future. :)