Sleep Deprivation

Good Day Everyone!

After several hours in and out of consciousness yesterday and a couple massive hibernations I think I may be back in work order.  At least 80%.

That should be enough I hope as I am only responsible for a cast meet and greet tonight for the Zoot Summer Series.  Pretty Cool, huh?

The other great thing that happened yesterday was that I got to have a least a bit of a Hang Out with Erin Joy  Swank

at the Denver International Airport where all Men's Rooms are also Tornado Shelters!  : )

It was pretty dang cool of her to meet me during the 20 minutes we could grab as I had to go back through security (which by the way was the nicest, most efficient group of TSA folks with whom I have ever dealt - Go Denver!) , but at least I got to give her some swag.  We hope to make up the rest of her time on another day.  But it was great to see you for a bit Eirn!  : )

More soon!

Best,

M
----
Funding:                102.3%
Days in Ohio:         1
----
Today is sponsored by Michael G Mauloff

Leaving Today

Hey all!

This song is a bit Dramatic, but I love the Neil Hannon, so this is what I leave you with as I travel from LAX->DEN and then DEN->DAY.

If you want to track me on Southwest Airlines Flight #s 1001 and 364 respectively, I'm leaving LA at 6:20am PST and arriving in the O-H at 4:10 in the p.m.

Enjoy!


Best,

M

Funding:                    98%
Days to OH:              1

Overwhelmed

Hey y'all!

You have literally killed me with your kindness.  The events this weekend were phenomenal and the result beyond new friends and old, a slutbucket, Bard in the Yard, great conversations, heartfelt gratitude and unbelievable generosity is that this campaign is 98% funded!

I can barely comprehend how much love has been pouring my way in the last few months and the last two days specifically.  Thank you.  Thank you!  And again, I say THANK YOU!  A million times thank you.

No, really.  Thank.  You. 

I will continue to blog, and I have a few more folks I look forward to bragging about, but let me say that the PARTyING is Such Sweet Sorrow event helmed by Shawn DeLoache brought many people and nearly 2 bills in the bucket!  (!)  It also got me time with (in no particular order) Cory Hensley, Dawn Barber, Shawn himself, David Mickler and Friend, Andrew Tan, Amy Wood and Friend, Shelby Hazelett, Cassy Kojak and Friends, Lindi Rubin, Chris Spalatin, Ashley Waldman, Brad & Sara Fletcher, Johnny Vallone, Kenny Dellinger, Tucker Maloney, phone calls and well wishes from folks who couldn't make it, Kate Hackett, Kyle Walters, Brandon Bales and Friends, Nathaniel Beaver, Luis Garcia, Jonathan M. C. Jordan, and apologies to anyone else I forgot. If you think of somebody who was at the soiree who's name I didn't list, put it in the comments and shame me publicly!

I like it!

And the Bard in the Yard event let me act like a Jackass for Ken & Geri Huntington, Laura Johnson, Ted & Christy Kane, Rachel Davis, Chris & Lisa Holmes, Mike (I can't read/remember his last name), Julie Puryear and Erik Innes and Esther Chan.  Only one person's face was bitten by a dog and even more cash than the night before showed up in the bucket.  And I got through the readings without choking on a chicken or falling asleep on my burning hot feet.

Here's the program for the curious:

I'll look at the recording and see if it has any use in being posted.  ; )

Also, as I mentioned, the campaign stays open until I return to L.A. on September 1st, so if you feel moved to contribute down the line, even as we hit 100%, please feel free to do so.  If you've pledged, please get it to me when you can with my thanks.  And if you want to know what $$$ over 100% funding would be used for refer to this earlier post.

Big love to you all!

Now I MUST pack, Pack, PACK!!!

And for your delectation, ladies and germs . . . the SLUTBUCKET!

Best,

M

Funding:                    98%
Days to OH:              2

Three Little Maids From School

Hey everybody.

I just realized what a terrible title that is for this post.  Not that it's a terrible title.  I love G&S.  But I only went to school with one of these women and I consider none of them little.  They are all phenomenal women with fire in their eyes and flashing teeth.  But there's three of them, so I'll keep it.  ; )

The first of this trio I only met recently through my roomie who I profiled yesterday.  Azy Kashani is also from Georgia and has landed in L.A. She works for the Food Network and *never* shows up to a party without a giant bottle of Svedka.

                                                    Shawn & Az at St. God's Memorial Hospital;
                                                                          Natch

Azy is caring, funny and truly sweet.  She is a dyed-in-the-wool RockNRoll Party Girl.  If the Az is around, you will not be bored!  She also has an idea for a podcast that I can't wait to discuss with her when I'm back in the fall!  : )

Amy Handra is my youngest sister from that awesome WSU class I told you about.

After graduation we fell out of touch for many a year but were reunited when Brian cast her as Lady MacDuff and Hecate in that killer production of Macbeth.  She was a good sport and let me drown her on stage.  She along with a few other older folks helped raise that production to a point where everyone (novice to naysayer) was working at the top of the form.

                                                                Drowning Lady MacDuff:  
                                                                            Got your good side, eh Amy? ; )  Heh

She spent some time studying at the University of Alabama after teaching High School Drama for many years and then went on to work at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.  She's now living the dream in the Big Apple.

Thanks for the help sis!  

Catherine Smitko I haven't seen since I worked with her on HEARTBREAK HOUSE at the Goodman Theatre.  She was a joy to work with and I have managed to stay in touch via email, Myspace, FB and the like over the years.

It turns out she is going to be gone when I get to Chicago at the end of the summer.  She is a helluvan Actor and a singer and very in demand.

She supposed to me to me the following:

"You, now, considering how often we miss each other (you're gigging in Chicago when I'm in L.A. and visa-versa), I can only assume the universe has some ironic secret plans for us.

Or Armageddon will occur when we do, in fact, get to visit.....jeesh."

I'm ready to tempt fate sooner rather than later, aren't you Lady?  : D

Thanks to all three of you wonderful people for your help!  I can't wait to hug and kiss you all!

XOXO

Best,

M

Funding:                    88.6%
Days to OH:               3

Just Desserts

I chose this title (and before you get your knickers in a twist, yes I know it's "Just Deserts" - puns people, puns!) . . . uh where was I?

Oh yes.

This title is the right title because I'm talking about Shawn Philip Michael DeLoache.

Shawn is my roommate.  My helpmate.  My shipmate.  Just generally my mate.

He's a great guy.  A very talented writer.  A caring friend.  And a lover of Desserts.

I don't think you understand how deep his love of desserts goes.  He might give up anything for a good piece of cake.  Seriously.  If you want to own him for a bit, give him an all expense paid trip to Sweet Lady Jane.  (And if my buddy Abraham is working, tip him a lot!)

Try it out.

We have fun.

And he's put this party together for me tonight, because he is awesome.  Show up and give him a hug.  And take him out for cake, or really any kind of dessert.  At least once a week until I get back.

Please.

I could go on for days about all the amazing things lining up for Shawn through his talent, integrity and hard graft, but he and I are going to watch IRON MAN 3 in about an hour so I need to wrap this up!

Hope to see a few of you tonight!  And bring your hugs.  Shawn will need lots of (inappropriate) hugs! : )

Best,

M

Funding:                    84.5%
Days to OH:               4 

But enough about me . . .

Seriously, right?

As we approach my departure I feel like I've had less chance to talk about all of you amazing people.  Let's remedy that over the next couple of days, eh?

Here are some people who have sponsored several days between them.  I am so thankful for that!

TJ Schwab is another one of those folks I met at Blue Jacket oh so many years ago.  He was playing Charlie Van Swearingen (Par. 4 and 9) I believe.  TJ was one of the many cast members who were partaking in what we called the Louisana Tech Summer Camp Experience.

It was there as a redneck Yankee I forged a lot of lifelong friendships with people from the Deep South for the first time.  It was an interesting time for me having rubber-banded from the Bible Belt into the Steaming Liberal Pot of YSO to be re-introduced to conservatives that I genuinely liked.  TJ is at the forefront of that.

He is kind, caring, quick to laugh and can piss me off faster than most people I know with an off-the-cuff social networking remark.  The difference is, though I often completely disagree with his conclusions, I do know he can and will back up his statements by citing specific information he has processed, not parroted Talking Points.  What more can you ask from your vis-à-vis?

I look forward to spending time with him, his lovely (very liberal) wife Amy who I also met at BJ (both were also key players at Wing & Groove) and their daughter who I've yet to meet, and who I will refrain from calling Miss Cleo, later this summer!  : D

                                         Results of the last election at the Tourne/Schwab Household

The other person I'd like to highlight today for her amazing generosity is the wildy talented super awesome, great-things-come-in-small-packages Nicole (the) Bruce!  : D

Nicole and I have worked together in a number of capacities.  I first met her when I was teaching at IU in Bloomington, Indiana.  She was a theatre student and my stalwart assistant and collaborator when we produced Twelfth Night at the BPP's Summer Program for Young Adults.  (I just made that title up.  I don't remember the actual name, but you get the idea.) 

Nicole is hella gifted, very crafty and off to perform at the COLORADO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL in Boulder this Summer!  I am *SO* proud of her. 

Go Nicole Go!

I'm so excited that we'll both be bashing away at the Bard this summer.  If only we were closer!  Let's work on that.

Thanks for your help Nicole and have a kickass summer!  But do tell me this.  Why do I have no pictures of the two of us together?  Weird, right?

Thanks to you all for reading!  I'll highlight some other people of not tomorrow.  Yeah!

Best,

M

Funding:                    84.5%
Days to OH:               5 

What happens if I am overfunded?

Hey y'all!

This is one of those questions that always seems to be addressed in these fundraising deals, so I thought I should answer it too.  Especially seeing as we are now over 84% funded!

Wow!  Go you!

As I have stated before, I will continue to accept help through September 1st as some folks have expressed a desire to help but inability to do it at this moment or simply that they would like to wait and contribute in person.  A better moment will materialize over the summer, or someone who didn't hear about the project will get a chance to step up.  This is the benefit of doing this on my own without a crowdsourcing site.  Plus more of your donations make it directly to the cause.

I mention this again because as they summer wears on, perhaps I will be over-funded.

What does that mean?

Well, it is not likely to be a huge surplus for me as my initial fund drive amount was the bare minimum of what I needed coupled with what I thought I would receive as compensation for my work this summer.  The latter number is somewhat less than what I had hoped, so over-funding may just put me back at bare bones, i.e. subsistence for this much time away.

Ultimately, it's all gravy because you have all been so amazingly generous.

E'en so, there are always unforeseen circumstances in any endeavor like this and having a little wiggle room can't hurt.

I am still looking into transportation options while I'm in Ohio, though I am open to barter as well . . .

I hope to give swag to donors in person, but some of my distant friends might get their items mailed faster if I have a few extra bob.  

Finally, I could use some cushion when I get back to L.A. in the fall.

Oh. At minimum I have 13 as yet unsponsored days during the SSSS proper if anyone wants to get down on that!  : D

What I will promise you is that if I get more than I need I will tell in this blog specifically what those dollars have gone to purchase with my grateful thanks.

You rock everybody!  This part of the ride has been tremendous and I am almost on to the next.  Most exciting.

Hope to see you all at some point this summer, whether it be in person or online or somewhere in the ether or the Dreamtime.

Best,

M

Funding:                    84.5%
Days to OH:               6