American Candidate

The episode I am in airs this Sunday. I'm in the preview on the website making a face at the rampant stupidity of one of the candidates, and I can see myself making my talking hand gestures, but I don't have audio on this computer, so lord knows if I'm audible. But looks like I made it into the episode.

http://www.sho.com/site/video/right.do?video=/172/2004/172_122348_a&player=QUICK&speed=hi&seriesid=&episodeid=&include=172

I am vastly amused.

(no subject)

Auditions went well yesterday. Was perhaps the only audition I've ever been on where the ratio of women/roles as better than for the men. But I think it's easier to find retro looking men than women these days.

The two actors I was seen with were fascinating, and exchanged stories about being in Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war and then twenty years earlier respectively. It was the sort of thing that reminds you why you do this, and as someone who once wanted to be a wartime journalist, held immense intellectual appeal for me. Of course, acting and war journalism do share a number of things in common -- mostly inappropriate drinking and camraderie, being a cocky ass, and generally being in way over one's head. In some ways I've not changed one bit. I want that opportunity to change my life over and over again. Take me to the desert and make me do impossible things, and in my off hours, let me sit about, and read books about the water.

Yesterday I bought the first Horatio Hornblower book, and Cherryh's Downbelow Station while loitering in B&N between auditions.

Anyway, I did well. Work now, stables at three.

I should also note that I am currently in the process of worrying about this year's Halloween costume. Why I'm worrying about it now, lord knows, other than Kat, having reminded me of the brilliance of the Brian Slade costume (speaking of Brian Slade, this looks like a remarkable fall season for really ugly striped shirts -- I'm sort of thrilled), has me pondering a number of options for drag king brilliance this year. Of course, both motivation and nerve is required, so we'll see where it goes. Can you hear the Pinky and The Brain dialogue going on off to the left? Exactly.

(no subject)

Today I rode Benny. Benny is short. If he were an inch and a half shorter, he'd technically be a pony. Benny is also smart though. And pretty much wanders about wherever he wants to, if you're not on him at every second, and it was very very frustrating because I was having serious left-handed moments.

A little better with the trotting today. Have been on three different horses now, and I have to say, the one that scared me the most, was also the one that ultimately, I've felt the safest on and most in sync with (Benny isn't just smart, playful and frustrating, he can be a bit jumpy, and I had my first experience with the horse reacting to something suddently)... Sham, why are you so tall? My instructor showed me pictures of Benny competing in some western events, and apparently he's happiest doing high speed relay stuff, and as such is just a kook to deal with his boredom when dealing with a beginner.

The Horatio Hornblower books are somehow even more enchanting than the movies (eye candy quite aside). Later, when I'm less utterly exhausted, I want to write about that, and about stories for boys, as opposed to stories for girls -- it's quite making me think of the novels, selected for the benefit of our character, we read at Miss Hewitt's.

Also the barn apparently has a scary, dangerous, mean horse one has to be very careful of. Impressively surly animal, quite beautiful and named Pumpkin, which seems awfully benign.