PERFORMANCE #15 Sat 6/28/08

Closing Night!

Running time: 1 hour, 16 minutes.

Stage Manager reports: "We came, we saw, we rocked it out. It is always nice to end on a high note and I sure think we did. Everyone turned in fine performances; it was a great night. Well that is about it on my end, just want to thank everybody for all there hard work. I heard that these things are hard, but when you have a good team around it is a walk in the park. Thanks to everyone."

Closing night party at the Telephone Bar & Grill ...

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

PERFORMANCE #14 Fri 6/27/08

Running time: 1 hour, 16 minutes.

Stage Manager reports: "What a night. It was a fantastic show. Everyone turned in wonderful performances! It looks like we saved the best for last. The audience really seemed to enjoy it as well, great response.
Let’s do it again shall we."

No rehearsal tomorrow.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

The Penalties & Interest Song

This video defies introduction. Enjoy.

PERFORMANCE #13 Thu 6/26/08

Running time: 1 hour, 17 minutes (1 minute longer ... possibly because of the laughter?).

Stage Manager reports: "Lucky 13, that's right I said lucky 13. Well tonight was no exception to the rule. Everything seemed to flow well. The audience was really into it tonight, and the cast had a wonderful show. Liz was on fire tonight, really moved me tonight. Overall, it was such nice evening at The Public."

Stage Manager continues: "JM would like everyone to know he is cute. He has requested this comment. So when You see JM, tell him he is cute." [as SM knows I'm posting from her reports, I assume she know that I'm going to copy that. Please may I request a photo of JM?]

No rehearsal tomorrow.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

PERFORMANCE #12 Wed 6/25/08

Running time: 1 hour, 16 minutes (same as last night).

Stage Manager reports: "Well, I was a bit concerned when we started off, energy was low, but Julian came in the door and loaded the energy. It took them halfway through act one to hook the audience, but once they were hooked it was smooth sailing. There were many vocal ohhs for Lollie and Amy tonight, some people really empathized with them. Overall a great night, even though I will say there were some creative lines."

Props note: let's put some Ricolas on the set for Lollie.

Line run, tomorrow at 5pm.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

Life in the LAB (our Back Stage interview)

Excerpts from our recent Back Stage interview:

Rubin: LAB is identified with gritty, urban plays. This show is stylistically different from what we've done before — it's a comedy, inspired by TV sketches — but I don't think LAB has an aesthetic.

Julian: I don't think we have any one subject or style in our plays. But we all kick ass. The company is populated by talented individuals who are committed to a level of excellence, committed like a pit bull with a T-bone steak. What we have in common is that we leave cynicism at the door. At the Intensives, which are where our plays begin, it's a sacred process. Anyone can say what's no good and what doesn't work. We don't do that. We dive in.

Back Stage: What were the challenges in this play?

Michael: We have 10 rehearsals, and that's terrifying, but what makes it okay is that we can lean on each other. Also, it's a very difficult play and it goes to some really deep, intense places, and the stakes are high.

Yetta: But once you accept the world of the play and feel free to break the rules, it makes it easier.

Julian: It's a dark comedy with a lot of absurdity. You can't pre-plan it. The hard part is playing it. Keep what's good and get rid of the crap.

muMs: It's the limited time and the over-the-top comedy that shifts to a very dark place. That's a bit of a challenge.

Liz: It's an emotional roller coaster, and in a way we're rehearsing in front of the audience. So the challenge is to allow ourselves the freedom to explore in front of an audience.

Julian: Whether we're doing knee puppet theatre or a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, everybody is willing to do everything. And that has made me a better actor. It's given me the impetus to show up and think about what I can give rather than what I can take or what's going to be given to me.

Michael: These are all my friends. Even if we were not working together, we'd be playing together. We're in each others' lives.

To read the full interview, click here.

VMA

So we're in the home stretch of P&I. It's been a blast of fun times on and off stage. I got a note from Ruben yesterday (Im not going to say exactly what- that would make this blog just a little too revealing) that Im going to implement with reckless abandon from here on out. hahaha (devious laughter)

muMs

PERFORMANCE #11 Tue 6/24/08

Running time: 1 hour, 16 minutes (4 minutes less).

Stage Manager reports: "Overall, it was a good night. The Captioning monitor was very interesting, it was quite distracting. The cast was upset, because everyone knew when they screwed up their lines (they did not mess up nearly as much as they think they did). We started off a bit tepid, but then moved on. 1/3 of the way thru it seemed to all click and it worked. We cut the invisible scene today and Amy’s run to get her pill: that is what took off some time. Good times, yes it was good times."

We had more hard of hearing audience members than LAB has ever had for an Open Captioned performance - which is excellent.

Set note: there is a bubble on the floor by Lyle's desk.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

PERFORMANCE #10 Sat 6/21/08

Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (another minute shorter).

Stage Manager reports: "Preshow - an audience member yelled that people around him to be quite. He was watching Lyle gather mail. Overall Saturday night was good. The energy was a bit uneven, but overall it was OK. End of the week blahs, that what I say. However it was overall a good week and we all look forward to next week."

Next performance, Tuesday, is Open Captioned - for the hard of hearing. We'll be setting the captions up at 5pm, while the cast do a line run.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

PERFORMANCE #9 Fri 6/20/08

Running time: 1 hour, 21 minutes (another 5 minutes cut, following today's re-rehearsal and re-tech).

Stage Manager reports: "Good show. Tonight we seemed to have found the show. Everything moved swiftly the acting was good. The audience responded with laugher, we even had a vocal ohhh for poor Lollie. Life was good."

Set note: We need to look at the evil room door. It is acting Evil.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

PERFORMANCE #8 Thu 6/19/08

Running time: 1 hour, 26 minutes (another min less).

Stage Manager reports: "Overall it was a nice show. The cast had very good energy; it was the house that was strange. They responded OK, but not what we like. But you can't always get what you want. We started a bit uneven, but then found the pace halfway through, and evened out. Overall it was a nice night."

Rehearsals are scheduled for tomorrow afternoon: tech and speed run.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

PERFORMANCE #7 Wed 6/18/08

Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes (3 mins shorter still).

Stage Manager reports: "Well, the show went well, they all had good energy and had a good response from the house. We did have a cackler; it is always good to have a cackler. We did have a few walkouts; they were sitting in the front row. The front row, can you believe it. The cast felt OK about the show, not great, but good. Oh well, lets have rehearsal again."

Front Of House Note: Very hot in house. People were fanning themselves.

Props note: Rubber band newspaper in mail drop. Not so much mail in the drop. Add note pad to the desks in preset.
Costumes note: get non slip pads on Amy's Shoes.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

PERFORMANCE #6 Tue 6/17/08

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (we lost one more minute).

Stage Manager reports: "What a difference a day makes. A couple of days of rest and we are back in action. Energy was good, Audience response was good. It is nice to be back in action."

Re-rehearsals scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. Reteching at 5pm.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

PERFORMANCE #5 Sat 6/14/08

Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes (we lost another 2 mins).

Stage Manager reports: "Sometimes you feel like you're on a rollercoaster - Tonight was like the long clank, clank clank, up the big first drop. The only thing is that we did not ever drop; we just kept climbing that hill. It was a rough night. We had a few walkouts, which was distracting to everyone. Well we have a couple of days of rest before we get to ride the coaster again."

Tech note: Sound and Lighting tech scheduled for Wednesday next week.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

cuts and changes

last night was great- we had rehearsal from 4-6, and it was good, helpful.  The show ran just a little over 1.30- that's good- much quicker.  Last night i was able to see some stuff I needed to cut and change and tweak and work on.  I got to bed late and i woke up early.  I did the cuts and e-mailed them to all.  I feel better.  I feel a sense of satisfaction at getting rid of the muck.  i know i have not answered all questions perhaps, but i feel closer.  my hope is that the cuts and changes will stream line things for the actors, (and audience!) so that scenes can run without that halting feeling of stop-start.  i made subtle changes and maybe i am being optimistic because i hope for big returns on small clarifications.  anyway, the good thing is- this development process allows me to do this- give it to the actors and director, have them implement it and see how it goes tonight.  i suspect there will be more as the show goes on.  have a good day, thank you for calling Parner, Moft and Gape.

PERFORMANCE #4 Fri 6/13/08

Friday the 13th. Re-rehearsals this afternoon, before the show.

Running time: 1 hour, 33 minutes, 57 seconds (3 seconds shorter than last night).

Stage Manager reports: "It was a much better show tonight. Nice audience response, the show tonight really felt like a rollercoaster ... John did not threaten the house with murder tonight and still no cell phones went off. Progress yes. Quote of the day: 'Isn’t he a better actor than that?' –Liz describing Lyle to Michael."

Costume note: Julian needs new kneepads.
Lighting note: one cue needs rebuilding.

If you saw this performance, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!

well...

well... to blog or not when things don't go well.  i would not be being honest if i only blogged when i was gushing over how fabulous the actors are.  so although this is harder to put out there- I must say- i did not love the show last night.  not that there weren't many wonderful moments, scenes, but something was off.   it is so wild how theater does that- well b/c it is live- so there you have it.  it's like having a bad day, or losing your patience with you child when you've been the coolest mom for three days in a row, and then you ask yourself, who am I?  

Here are some thoughts:  It started off with stakes too low, the intensity of scene one was down. the audience was quiet and it wasn't a full house, and it was only their third night in front of an audience, they are still getting used to that, and i still feel they are waiting too long for some stuff, like stairs and entrances.  so not great- but still i didn't lose any hope- let's keep it in perspective- still only 13th rehearsal, so jeez what do we expect. best, r  

PERFORMANCE #3 Thu 6/12/08

Our fabulous Stage Manager, Paige, berated me today for quoting bad lines from her performance reports in this blog. I'll try harder. I'll quote more.

Running time: 1 hour, 34 mins (8 minutes less than last night)

SM reports: "Well it was a little bit quiet in the house tonight. It threw the group for a loop. One High note was that Mums had a good night. I found his evening bag speech insightful, and yes even I wanted to by a bag." She went on to say: "Tonight’s call was sponsored by the letter A for anticipation."

Set note: can we affix Lyle's monitor to the desk?
Costume note: need to talk about Julian's collar.
Props note: more labels, please.

After all the cellphones on Wednesday, John threatened the audience with murder. No phones rang. Possibly some vibrated, but I couldn't say.

One performance in ... the playwright speaks

So, we dropped by Rebecca's kitchen yesterday, just before she was heading down to the theater for performance #2. She said,
"The show was ... "
"Puzzo and Liz in the bar afterward, and they were ... "
"It also makes me glad I'm not acting anymore ... "
Here's the video:

last night

last night was great- second night in - i think it was 4 or 5 minutes shorter, ahhh... this is a good thing; i imagine it will keep getting tighter each night. i hope for 4 minutes off tonight and then again on friday and again on sat. It ran 1.42, and it seems like a show that should be 1.30. but we are still working out cues etc. is faster always better? i suppose no, but a lot of times it helps- just to go. the actors again killed me- there is this one new silent bit with Dick- though i have to say that the actors told me last night at Acme Bar, that they can hear the only ones laughing at it are rubin and I- that sort of cracks me up. the director and playwright laughing at something in the play that the audience doesn't. we think they will eventually. but it is too priceless to cut. okay this is crazy: so you know how they had only 10 rehearsals- yes only ten and then a performance in front of an audience- well there is an office phone that rings a lot during the play, and the 3 performers/office workers take turns answering it- well puzzo and liz told me the first night that when the phone would ring, they would look at each other in terror b/c they really had no idea who was to answer the phone- i can't imagine that anxiety. did i mention i am happy not to be acting? watching this process, and what the actors do, just once again confirmed that i am calmer as a person writing- sitting on my arse, and writing, than performing, and rehearsing and memorizing- i remember loving it- but it also gave me anxiety. i imagine when my daughter is grown and i am older and calmer i will do it again. i think so. well, see you at the theater i hope. xo rebecca

PERFORMANCE #2 Wed 6/11/08

Wednesday June 11th ... 2nd performance.

Running time - about 5 minutes shorter than last night.
Set note - we want to know if the Rabbi Room door will stay open ...

Why, in an office farce in which there are literally dozens of phone ringing sound cues, do 3 DIFFERENT CELL PHONES ring during the performance? Add cell phone reminder into tonight's pre-show curtain speech.

Any audience comments?

Cast and Crew

Here's the team, after the dress rehearsal...Left to Right: John Gould Rubin (Director), Michael Puzzo (Lyle), Julian Acosta (Dick), Elizabeth Canavan (Lollie), Yetta Gottesman (Amy), and muMs (Vera Wang's Assistant).
Photo by Monique Carboni.

PERFORMANCE #1 Tue 6/10/08

Tuesday 10th June ... First performance

Running time 1 hour 46 minutes ... most agree that we'll cut some time over the next few days, and this'll help both the comedy, and the darker side.

Props note: we're going to move the newspaper (now you know).

Did you see last night's show? If so, please tell us what you thought - just add a comment.

After dress rehearsal, the director speaks

We cornered John yesterday, after a frenetic day, and dress rehearsal (with Monique Carboni, LAB's resident photographer, snapping away - we'll be able to post photos soon) ... here's his description of how it's going.

Dress Rehearsal

Dress rehearsal, bah!!! this is a show.
Im nervous. well, not really but it's always good for me to say that to myself. it's keeps me in check.
I've got my lines and understand my purpose. my confidence is steady....
ahhh.... I can hear over the speaker, it's begun. Puzzo has tossed the mail.

-mums

Oh Amy...

...the things I wanted to say to you. The places I wanted to take you to. Your smile stayed with me the whole afternoon. The roses smelled ever so sweeter and brought thoughts of you racing back to me treading the meaningless doldrums I thought had meant so much.
You.
You have diverted my desires and have given my life true worth.

-bobby

I Had A Dream Last Night

I dreamt about Dick.  We took a cruise.  It was an amazing ride on the huge white boat.  The water was choppy and we were tossed around and the waves from the sea came crashing down on us.  We were wet.  Then we found a life boat and we snuck on board.  It was raw passion and I was instantly impregnated by Dick.  Afterwards, he insisted on wearing my panties, odd I thought but who cares I am caring his baby!  My stomach swelled and I went into labor right there, Dick helping me the whole time.  Finally, the baby was delivered but when I looked down it was a baby calf.  Dick swooped it up and insisted it looked just like him. He tried to breast feed it but I woke up.  Hmmmh? Maybe, it was all that raw food last night.

Fur is dead.

Lollie

we almost lost the show...

Well, we almost lost the show. In the end we had a financial catastrophe (with which the season has been replete) and yesterday evening was our deadline to get the money. We didn't have it and I had to go so far (as an official with LAByrinth) to tell Rebecca we were not going to open next week. This was an unpleasant phone conversation; she did not enjoy this news, and I felt at once like a producer giving necessary bad news and an artist getting badly fucked (sort of, by myself!) All too complicated and all too sort of, vaguely, self-hating. Then the money came through in a complicated arrangement of different beneficiaries, I was still in the office, but I was too depleted to feel utterly great. I just felt wrung out; like I'd failed even though we succeeded in the end. How wonderful that we succeeded in saving the show, but how horrible that I hadn't succeeded in doing so without all the sturm unt drang.

Also, the most complicated part, is that I have begun to feel like the show is actually on the right track. This is a difficult assertion to make because I direct under a vaguely mystical belief that failure is seductively elusive; merely lurking somewhere slyly covert in the future, never apparent enough to actually face and combat until the war is actually lost. But the work has been so much fun (perhaps because it's been a drug-like relief from fear of failing financially; which fear reminds me, in it's potency, of my sister, suky's, expression: "dead stomach." This is what your life is like when your stomach hurts so much, almost physically, that you wish you were dead. I've had this for about two weeks. That's the terror in which I've been living. Horrible.) But, the actors seem to have embraced the notion that we could just race along and stage the little bugger in 4 days. Which we did. Since we have 10 rehearsals before a public performance, I determined (since this is a farce) to give them structure. So, I staged, and on the fifth day we ran through (as ordained by the Lord!) All right. Next five on the way! Sigamos con sangre, sudor y lagrimas!

rehearsals

rehearsals have gone extraordinarily well- so well i won't bore you with the blah blah blah of how well.  all i will say is my dreams of having fun in rehearsal have come true.  the actors, as i thought they would, crack me up- i am laughing the loudest at appropriate and inappropriate times.  this might seem conceited; "loud laughing playwright laughs hardest at own play"- i have a fear of this when the show goes up, will people say, gee the playwright really thinks she is so goddamn funny.  but i must say- it is truly b/c the actors are beyond funny, they slay me.  they have been so emotionally available and inventive, and John has so beautifully directed with clarity and space to allow them to do their thing, and discover, while shaping the play precisely.  there i did it, i bored you with the mushy gushyness of my feelings, i shall stop now. Julian told me yesterday that Harvey Korman died.  He was a great comic genius, and so lovely.  Goodbye Harvey, thank you.   

"Dear Diary" by Dick Moft

Dear Diary

I will no longer sit idly by allowing Lollie to spew her commie propaganda regarding foie gras, veal and all things delicious through the uncensored concourses of the world wide web!

It is my God given right as an citizen of this great nation to eat whatever I please regardless of whom or what is being tortured!

Besides, torture is the new oral: neither constitutes what it used to and we no longer agree on what it is. Is it sex, is it torture or is it just yummy?

I think Lollie hates freedom and I am sure she has never had Unicorn soup.

Sincerely,


Dick Moft

P.S. I am finding shoplifting and pushing people into traffic surprisingly calmative.

"Dear Diary" by Dick Moft

Dear Diary,

Today was a rough one. The stress was unbearable. I am ever so grateful to have found my happy place for I needed its sweet embrace several times during the days inane proceedings. As directed, I allowed the vessels of my youthful memories to circumnavigate the tumultuous oceans of my discontent. Once in calm waters, I was enraptured in visions of summers spent with my chums; all of us gaily glistening in the mercilessly beating sun by the old concrete pond. It was as if I had experienced the same release from my everyday cares which until now had only been marked by the secrecy sworn to by young boys in misty woods.

Sincerely,


Dick Moft

P.S. I purchased a six-pack of Vaseline and a spatula today and I don't know why.

Working Title " The Little Temp that Could"

It'll be a one woman show.

More later, have to draft that memo for Dick.

"Dear Diary" by Dick Moft

Dear Diary,

Lots and lots of work ahead. I'm no good at work really. It's always been enigmatic to me. A wondrous curiosity of the billions of little people that seem to inhabit this rock of a planet as it spins once every 24 hours around its slightly irregular axis. I'm overwhelmed.

I haven't had a temper tantrum in 23 1/2 hours. Great progress. I spent the most of the morning smelling bicycle seats around the city which brought me great relief. I hope today's fandango with Lollie, Lyle and Amy isn't completely unbearable. They leave so much to be desired. They are one more example of why this notion of a "Middle-Class" was a bad, bad idea.

Sincerely,


Dick Moft

P.S. When I read a JC Penny catalog I get a funny feeling in my danger zone.

"Dear Diary" by Dick Moft

Dear Diary,

I often sit on a pile of pebbles pondering the mysteries of the known as well as the unknown universe as it relates to the fact that I absolutely love to wear women's undergarments. I like the way they feel against my skin. I like the way they make me feel inside. I like to know that I know what no one else knows. It is my own private little treasure; my own little oasis in an otherwise deserted wasteland of incompetence.

Sincerely,

Dick Moft

P.S. I'm still patiently waiting for my breasts to arrive.

tweaking

tweaking this week, in order to get a final draft to the office to print for first rehearsal next tuesday. the cast and I and staff have been e-mailing back and forth, re: rehearsal schedule, usually or sometimes that can stress me out, wanting everyone to have their needs met, and mine, but i wasn't stressed this time, i knew it would be fine, and i was calm, i think this is me growing up, which feels so good. paula pizzi was the original director for this play in the earlier days of readings and workshops, she is now the dramaturg. she was very helpful with catching things i couldn't see or was too lazy to see. she suggested we meet once more, I was like, "no, it's fine." she said i think you might be missing an opportunity for the script to be really ready, and instead of being in denial mode or I'm not in the mood to be a perfectionist mode which is where i could have gone or have in the past, i got off my arse, and said okay, thanks, lets read it again, wow, it was really helpful. so now i've been tweaking; commas, changing too many mother fuc....to other exciting useful, expletives, but most importantly making sure that i am including small moments to connect the dots of everyone's individual storyline. i like when small changes make big differences. i have a lot of dishes to do, dishes never really stop, they just keep going like laundry- my relationship to dishes and laundry is usually indicative to my relationship with my life at the moment. right now i really don't want to do the dishes, but i am also fine with that it has to get done. and listening to bob dylan while doing dishes is actually really exciting, so that will help. i will have more coffee. peace, rebecca p.s. Obama 08!

first blog ever in my life

This feels a little dangerous. I could write things that are indiscreet, or constitute information delivered too early to the actors, or are thoughts I haven't sufficiently prepared. Or I could write nothing of significance and waste the time of the reader. But then, this is all new to me and my leeriness is based on no less than that I don't know what is expected of me as a blogger. But why should I?

I'll say this (even though it's some thing I haven't yet figured out, but since I'm going to address it at the first rehearsal I'll say it now:) I don't know yet how to prepare the audience to witness a show that's only been rehearsed for two weeks. Since they are automatically accustomed to a certain quality of work that's in front of them, I feel that I have to protect the process, the show, the production, and the work from over-expectation. This is what I worry about today. But is it okay to let the actors know how much the director worries? These days I don't sleep well. I worry.

I didn't sleep last night. I worried. I was at a lovely room in an Inn, a beautiful, lovely old rambling inn, and I couldn't sleep. Worried about my ideas for this play. When I was an actor I assumed the Director knew everything. It's not true. I learned that lesson the first day I directed.

Design meetings tomorrow and the next day. They'll have ideas. Then I'll sleep. Now it's getting late and I should try to sleep. I'll try.

I don't know yet.... But I'll know then.

coffee, the play and my daughter

next day, another glorious coffee morning, things might turn to shit later, but for now, ahh...

i meant to say yesterday that in addition to liz as carol Burnett, puzzo as Tim conway, Yetta Gottesman is my very own Vicky Lawrence, and Julian my Harvey Korman. I recently discovered that the carol burnett show is on you tube- go to youtube.com and punch in carol burnett, they have a lot of the best skits - her show was on from 1973-1977 I believe. anyway, if you see the show, you might not see the carol burnett influence, but it was just inspired by. It is also about loneliness, the choices we make for survival, and other things that I was struggling with at the time. I love working with John Rubin, the director, he is a man who does everything at 200%, I always feel so communicated with and fully responded to, he is also a bit manic and a bit of a genius. Manic is said in a good way, here. I am supposed to talk about process; the first scene came out pretty whole, I wrote the first scene then the last, and they have had very little editing, the middle is always the hardest for me. I have to get my child ready for school, if i don't say "brush hair, teeth, pick out clothes" in a very involved way, it doesn't happen, I can't say it here from the computer, she doesn't take me seriously. best, rebecca

May 15th

i don't particularly like this picture of me, not b/c of the picture, b/c I think Jinn Kim takes great photo's, but of course, b/c it's me, and how many people like a picture of themselves. One eye is sort of bulgy and I look forlorn. anyway, I just had to say that, but it does look like me, and I like Jinn's photos. I am very excited to have Penalties & Interest going up with my beloved theater co. Labyrinth at the Public (a magical place). It is 7:15 a.m. I am drinking coffee, this is my favorite time of day, when the world is quiet. My cats lay, licking themselves peacefully. This play was somewhat inspired by the Carol Burnett Show, i kept seeing Puzzo, and Liz (lab members) as a carol burnett/tim conway team. After many autobiographical pieces I was so enthused to write something beyond my usual fare of diabetes, divorce, depression. so what better escape and change than theater of the absurd, or theater of the absurdish. it has been nothing but fun writing this piece. and writing for specific actors, which i have never done before, was all the more joyful, as I can hear how they would say stuff. i feel like puzzo, yetta, liz, and then a bit later julian acosta and more recently Mums, have been happily spending time with me in my small upper-west side apartment, they make me laugh all the time. The cats don't mind when I talk to myself while writing, they really don't mind much. i always wanted to blog, b/c i like to write stream of consciousness- but i felt too old for myspace and facebook, ha! i am an old 39 in some ways, and young in others. maybe that is how everyone or many people feel. I did 3 units of insulin about an hour ago, so i need to get food in me quick before i up, up there it is, hand starts shaking. i'll be back. bowl of kashi cereal in almond milk, i know, i know, i am so crunchy! see you, rebecca