The actor who believes he may one day play Hamlet has endless energy: the one who sees that the outside world is not convinced he will ever a play a lead is already tying himself into painful knots of introspection with a consequent need for self-assertion.

- Peter Brooks, The Empty Space

Jesse was put to sleep yesterday. He had been doing poorly and could barely get up the back stairs, let alone bound like a tiny gazelle over snow drifts and leaf piles. I think it's for the best he went before winter, although it will be sad. He was an amazing jumper and he could leap over drifts taller than himself and always had a wild expression of delight as he did so. It was always so funny to see him galloping madly towards the back door, springing up, a little black dog in a wide yard of white snow.

Chris's last season of soccer was fall of 2006, so Jesse's duties as goalie are also over. I'm still amazed he was able to carry a soccer ball in his mouth, he was a fairly small dog but he was a great keeper. He loved playing with his boy and his friends, even if playing sometimes meant stealing the ball and being chased around the yard (now you're playing by MY RULES, I would imagine him saying or thinking).

He saw Chris through it all, from moving in at Bayberry Road all the way through the end of college. He slept in Chris's bed when he (note I am not specifying whether "he" is Chris or Jesse) was scared and waited by the front window everyday after school. He even did while Chris was at college, waiting patiently from three til dinner for his boy to come home from school and play with him again, little baby puppies together.

 Now Chris is all grown up and his dog was all worn down.

I go home Friday night, so it will be more "real" to me then. I'm used to hearing his little paws clack on the floor as he paces the hall, checking on everyone and making sure his family is safe and sound. I won't hear that again.

She was so outrageous :(

Part of our department just recorded a little holiday greeting for WGBH. We're all in our coats etc throwing fake snow over everything. I think I have at least two snowballs worth in my shirt (what a clever double entendre, self, let's hope someone notices our incredible wit and pays well-deserved compliments to our glorious alliance of us) and they itch like crazy.

the guy who filmed us was very friendly and funny but he was especially flirty with me. He was telling people how to stand and move so I adjusted my position accordingly while he was goinga round and gently guiding people int place. Finally he came to me and put his hand on my shoulder so I asked if he needed me tured a little further and he said he just came back there to touch me. He was wicked hot and silly so it was OK.

AAANYWAY the whole point of this is to tell you all to flip by 2 or 44 when you're channel surfing in the hopes of seeing glorious me.

My dentist rules. I had to get an old filling out and a new one in this morning. He di it without novocaine and without pain and under fifteen minutes. He has used novocaine on me maybe once and it never causes me any real pain (some yes, but it's OK)> He has also commented that I am one of his chillest patients ever (no, he didn't say chillest, he's from some country in Europe that speaks French but isn't France I can't remember because I don't want to) and I probably am because I just lie back, shut my eyes and pretend I'm in Top Ten.

My coworker bought a Jane Austen calendar and she put it on my desk for me to ooh and ah over (it is quite cute) and these two quotes caught my eye:
"Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love" - J.A., Northanger Abbey
"Money can only give happiness where there is nothing else to give it" - J.A. Sense and Sensibility

We all skim our friends' pages on livejournal, trying to pick up as much info as we can from our many, many, many pals, chums and compatriots but often not having the time to click and read or view every delightful link offered to us by our fascinating, lively and brilliants friends (yes, that is YOU starring this show).

I ask that you pay attention to this if you are a fan of Jim Henson, (m/p)uppetry or theatre history at all. I knew that The Land of Gorch existed but I knew very little about it. I knew that it was a series of pieces doen for SNL in the 70's and had some racy humor, that's pretty much it.

Through the above link I found a transcript of the whole series. I figured it could be funny and clever as I am an unapologetic freak for anything related to Jim Henson but I didn't expect it to be as similar yet drastically different as it was. I especially did not imagine it would be as moving and depressing as it was.

This site as a whole is a really strange, obsessive analysis of the Muppets in general and a really fascinating read. It is a pretty great way to while away some boredom time with some odd, obsessively thorough information.

I'm watching the evening news, and the entertainment reporter said, "Mel Gibson's Apolcalypto opened today, but will movie goers support him after his [significant pause]off color remarks?"

Gee golly, I didn't know that "Fucking Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world" was considered "off color these days. I remember those crazy, by-gone days when that was just old-fashioned racism!

On a positive note, the Itsy Bitsy Spider-Man is so cute it is giving me trouble. I <3 Spider-Man and he <3's She-Hulk so it all works in a big <3-fest.

And did you know Raul Julia was on Sesame Street in the 70's? That means I am only one person-hop away from him, maybe two if you consider Death a person. He sorta looks like like FrankenRaul in that picture.

I'm sending her this bouquet (she likes rusticish type things) with this on the card:
Oh, you're the best friend
That I ever had
I've been with you such a long time!
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
(ooh) oh, you're my best friend

Love,
Colleen

We both really like Queen, and after searching through Joni Mitchell's, Judy Collin's and the Beatles' lyrics for an appropriately cheery and loving sentiment I decided this was the best bet. We used to drive around and sing along in harmony to Queen's Greatest Hits. DORKS! across the generations.

I think we should have a Christmas movie night at some point. AND LET'S GET A TREEEE!!! Everything keeps looking prettier and prettier in our place and I want to cap it off with a tree in the house before the week ends.

Now, to share something that made me giggle at my desk:

MUPPETS: Now bring us some figgy pudding!
MISS PIGGY: WHAT? Piggy pudding?!
GONZO: No, figgy pudding. It's made with figs.
MISS PIGGY: Oh.
GONZO: and bacon

One of my coworkers has the John Denver & the Muppets album shared on iTunes. You can laugh at me all you want but Christmasy stuff is all about being sweet, earnest and sincere to the point of sappiness and my God does this album have that all in spades.

Now it is time to talk about one of my favorite instruments ever: the crumhorn. I was listening to the Boston Camerata (the song mentioned above? possibly below?) and a distinctive kazoo tone caught my attention. What could it be, so familiar yet long ago?

Lo, 'twas the sweet Lady Crumhorn ringing in mine ears!

The crumhorn sounds like a Olden Tymes Kazooe, which--I think--is part of its appeal for me. It sounds buzzy and somewhat ridiculous and Henry VIII dug them big time. I get this very hilarious image of old, cranky, gouty Henry playing this buzzy little prance whilst picking out ladies from his court to mop his suppurating leg wound in a dainty, subservient fashion. He was totally a giant whiny baby, a result of the fact that he was the second brother and was never raised to rule until his elder brother kicked it, leaving poor Catherine of Aragon behind. AND THUS BEGINS THE EPIC RETELLING OF THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII... IN CRUMHORN VISION!!! (AT THIS POINT PLEASE IMAGINE 3D CRUMHORNS FLYING OUT OF THE SCREEN and also imagine me remembering to hit capslock again).

Hey, did you know that the first woman with my last name was named SYTHE? She was born during the reign of Elizabeth I (which wasn't difficult, the woman ruled for a fucking half century).

Woo, it's TUDOR DYNASTY DAY on my livejournal. Maybe just history today, as the Summis desiderantes was issued today. Fuck you Malleus maleficarum, you piece of misogynist trash. OH NO and Mozart died today! I'll raise a crumhorn in his honor.

Tomorrow I'll be doing radio pledge again with the same guy (Richard Kniseley) from 2-4, and Saturday I'll be on Prairie Home Companion from 12-3.

Finally, the Hot Fuzz trailer is out, Simon Pegg! Nick Frost! COPS! YAAAAYYY!!!

¡SYTHE OUT!

AuntieC sent me this link and I am dying: http://community.livejournal.com/cat_macros/57854.html#cutid1

I am way too entertained by this cat thing.

Me: ugh, i hate bras
Auntiec: me too
Auntiec: if only they weren't so effing necessary
Me: i wish they could be generated from the synthesizer thingy on star trek
Me: like you'd go on the holodeck for your measuremnts
Me: from a hologram who wouldn't judge you
Auntiec: that is the best idea
Me: oh star trek why can't you solve my problems now??

I've got my knickers covered in stickers.
I've got my pants covered in ants!
I've got my bloomers spreading rumors.
I've got my trousers away from Bowsers.
I'm got my slacks resting on tacks.
I've got my jeans full of greens!
I've got my breeches soaking in leeches.
My pantaloons are made of cartoons!
I've got my chaps knee deep in crap.
I won my britches along with my riches.
My capris are nice in a breeze.
I got my gauchos away from Groucho.

I can't find or think of a rhyme for jodphurs.

yep, you heard it here first! This was the best birthday since I was in London and had a surprise party thrown for me. It started on Monday when my department (who do not acknowledge birthdays) surprised me with cupcakes (while I was researching something intently and my coworker had to clap to get my attention, thank goodness I wasn't picking my nose or farting or something).
Then on Tuesday I was showered with sugar lumps in the form of books, Paul gave me Tintin (which I LOVED, Snowy is the best!) and Jeff gave me the new Susanna Clark book and Lost Girls. My mom took me to brunch and had a new BLUE acoustic guitar picked out for me (and I have been practicing scales every day ow my fingertips) and also took me to Linens & Things for new sheets that ALL MATCH EACH OTHER! GASSSPPPPPUH!
My brother picked me up on Wednesday and started off the STNKIEST THANKSGIVING EVER! He had been out all night drinking Jaeger and eating barbecue chips and boy howdy did his digestive salutations reflect that, I have not encountered anything so bad outside of my own house (and my own body, maybe its a genetic trait to repel predators!). Our dog was so excited to see us and is too old to really be aware of what's going on inside so as soon as we got home he dropped one on the kitchen floor. POOR JESSE is old.
So, uh, what else. There were no kids at Thanksgiving, just grownups and babies. The babies had a bath in the sink after all the dishes were done and the dishes were done by my cousin's badass hot fireman husband with a fucking six-inch firefighter's brand on his arm.
Friday and Saturday were spent at the sewing machine which now properly lives in my room. My mom showed me how to do all sorts of things and I have vibrant silky fabrics to make wee pillows as an easy beginner's project. We also hemmed my jeans and I fixed a rip in my brother's jeans so I felt wicked productive.
Then, the birthday parade continued TODAY as my dear coworker V just surprised me with a gift bag with two awesome tees in it. One is called "The End of the World" and has Dracula riding a T rex with bats flying overhead while a horde of zombies ravages the land. I think there are flying saucers overhead as well! The other one is an instructional t-shirt with information and visual diagrams on how to cope with zombies. I was already so overwhelmed--how awesome is a coworkerpal that does that?--that i thanked her, put the bag down and only after she left did I realize that there was something else in there. An awesome card on spidery paper AND a cloth wallet with DINOSAURS on it. Hoooly crap!
PLUS, e-mails from Eric and Gretel!

I'm really happy. I love presents (obviously) but just e-mails or little hurrahs mean a lot to me. I'm very good at demeaning myself and making myself believe that no one likes me and I just feel so good right now. Hurray for me and hurray for all of you who make up my world. You are wonderful and you all are my lovely horses.

THIS WEEKEND I want to get a Christmas tree and hang up the Christmas decorations. I don't feel like Christmas is coming up and I want to psych myself up.

Monday November 20, 2006
Wreckage: The Final Contest Show

Great Scott (NOT JACQUES!)
1222 Comm. Ave. Allston
doors: 8pm show: 9pm
18+ $8-10 sliding
617.566.9014

"Some drag is about impersonation, impressions, and
imitation. Our drag is about innovation, invention and
irreverent gender(fuck) performance. "
( Mmooooore info behind here )