Thursday, June 28, 2007

Surprise!

I was super, super bummed that I couldn't make it to Joseph's graduation or the official graduation party. It was really tearing me up inside, until my ever-resourceful girlfriend suggested that we just drive up on our day off (Monday) and surprise him! What a great idea. So after our shows Sunday night, we hit the road. We left Philadelphia around 10pm and got to Homer, NY around 2am.



Our plan was to sneak into the house without waking Joseph up, but that didn't quite happen the way we'd planned. Unbeknownst to me, my parents had started letting our dog Molly sleep indoors. (What a spoiled puppy!) Instead of sneakily slipping into the house and waking Joseph up in the morning with a surprise, Deb and I were greeted at the door by a barking, growling attack dog. Molly the dog was convinced that two shady girls were trying to break in and hurt her family! Needless to say this woke Joseph up from a deep slumber and he stumbled out into the kitchen, thinking that he was going to catch himself a burglar. Imagine his surprise to see his sister and her girlfriend, bearing a huge laundry bag full of graduation gifts. We exchanged hugs and went to bed.



The next morning.....


Joseph opened all his gifts. I think this is enough junk food to get him through a day of dorm life. I made Mom promise to hide it until it was time to move in to the dorm, because I knew that otherwise it wouldn't make it through the summer.

After breakfast, we decided to hit the Shipwreck Mini-Golf course. It was hot as hell outside and half way through the game we decided to stop keeping score and just fool around. Here's Joseph lining up a shot.


This is proven mini-golf technique: standing on the rocks will always get you a better shot. Naturally I chose the pink ball.




Yes, this is Joseph pretending to poop in the shark's mouth.



This is what happens to people who violate Rule #10 at Shipwreck: No profanity!




This poor dolphin was missing his dorsal fin, so Deb is giving him some extra love.





Deb's proven technique. Works every time.





After the game, we decided to get ice cream and get food for the BBQ. Oh, yes, we had a BBQ. This makes our 4th SPONTANEOUS BARBEQUE of the season. Dad, Deb, Weas and Molly the dog relax on the Man Porch before we got to eatin'.





Look at this fierce beast. I think she feels a little bad for growling at us the previous night.





It's eatin' time! (And for Mom, drinkin' time!) Matt and Weas joined us for dinner, and with the exception of Jonathan, the family was complete. Notice how no one at the table is really smiling... they don't want to be interrupted from the food!






Yes, I had to take a picture of my plate. This is the perfect summer meal. Clockwise from the top: salt potatoes, a hamburger, vinegar summer pickles, corn on the cob. And a yummy salad to the side.




Joseph was completely tuckered out from all that good eatin'. Fortunately we were able to rouse him for....




A game of cornhole! (Yes, I know. Seriously, that's what it's called. No, I didn't make that up. Stop snickering.) Matt and Deb were a great team.... and Deb was an awesome player, especially considering it was her first time playing cornhole. (Yes, I said it again.)





An action shot of Team May trying to defeat Team Not May.




It was pretty much a perfect day. We concluded with a bonfire and of course that meant s'mores. It was a beautiful night-- the lightning bugs were out and the mosquitos were not. There's really nothing better in the whole world than good food, good family fun and a bonfire.
The next day Deb and I drove back to Philly and back to the grind.... but our hair still smelled like campfire and we couldn't have been happier to get away for such a relaxing day.
Happy graduation, Joseph!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Graduation Day


It's that time of year again... but this year is extra special, because my little brother Joseph is graduating from high school this year!
I can't really believe that it's actually happening-- since he's so much younger than I am, I still think of him as 8 years old.
But yesterday he donned a cap and gown and received his diploma from Homer Senior High School....... and now he's officially an alumni.
I couldn't be more proud, or more sad that I couldn't be there. But there's a surprise in the works..... shhh.....
Happy graduation, Joseph! Now you're a real (gulp) adult!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Please look both ways before you cross the street or have sex.

What is with my friends and horrible things happening to them??

This post is dedicated to Amanda and Lauren.






Amanda, for all of the terrible things that have happened to you-- please roll yourself in bubble wrap and wear your helmet and safety goggles everytime you leave your house. Scratch that-- wear it in the house too. You never know. Be safe. And we'll get a drink soon, but I'll make sure it comes in a sippy cup. Just in case. See all the gory details here: http://www.mckennainphilly.blogspot.com/



Lauren, I'm so sorry your cooter is sick. And for the record, people, it's nothing that she did. It could happen to any of us gals, at any time. I won't go into details, but you should just pray that it never happens to you. And Lauren, I hope you feel well enough to scream about your vagina at Wendy's soon.





And the rest of you-- well, just be careful.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Monday, MONday, MONDAY!

This past Monday was our company outing to Dave and Busters. We had the best time-- is there more to life than drinking, playing pool and kicking butt at various arcade games? I didn't think so....


It's so wonderful that the Walnut treats us to this... it's been a long season and we've all worked really hard. It was very nice to be able to blow off some steam and have fun with the good friends that we're lucky enough to work with.

This was my third year attending the Dave and Busters end of season celebration, but my first year as an actual employee of the Walnut. (The past two years I've been Deb's "plus one") It felt different this time-- I remember last year Bethann joking with me and saying "We've got to get you a job here". Talk about a dream come true!


Me and Deb, happy to be enjoying our Monday. Look at my face, I'm already plotting to kick her butt at skee ball.

Look you guys, my drink came with a cherry! (Yes, it's the little things)



Don't Lauren and Steve look adorable? And look at how many tickets they have!!



Deb and Pam-- I think they're up to no good. (As usual)



Kill those aliens, Alison! (She's got her game face on!)




Melanie and AJ are super hard-core. Aliens beware! Melanie was actually sore the next day from all of the gaming. What a dork.





It's hoops time!!
All in all, it was a great day, and I am proud to report that before we attended the festivities at Dave and Busters AJ, Melanie, Deb and I had our third SPONTANEOUS BARBEQUE of the summer. Woohooo!
Could we have had a more perfect day? I don't think so.....

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Too hot to handle!


Is it just me, or did Big Red gum get super spicy in recent years??
Back before I appreciated spicy food in any way, I used to plow through packs of Big Red like they were going out of style. Because it lost it's flavor so fast, I would chew a piece until all the fake cinamonny goodness was gone, spit that out and pop another. I would chew so much that it made the roof of my mouth feel funny.
I decided I needed to recapture that magical feeling today, so on a whim I bought a pack of Big Red. Holy shit, that stuff is spicy now! And the flavor lasts forever. What's up with that??? Why would they change this perfectly disgusting, delightful gum?
It just goes to show that the simple pleasures of youth are fleeting.... sigh.... leave me a comment if you've experienced this crazy-kicked up flavor in something you remember fondly from your crazy past.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

the rise and fall of sara's obsession


I'm obsessed. I just got the first season box set in the mail, and I just can't tear my eyes away. The dialogue, the Shakespearean story lines, the sumptuous costumes, the naked people.... did I mention there's a lot of naked people? Jeez, we complain about the decadence of our own culture-- the Romans did it right. And wrong. And every way inbetween.


But I must say it's the political intrigue that really keeps me riveted.... funny that I already know how it all ends, and yet I devour each episode with the frantic yearning of the pious.


Most especially I enjoy the intertwine of religion and politics, friend and enemy, lover and warrior.


I haven't started the second season, so no spoilers, people. And I'm not overly eager to, either.... I know it's the last one and I just don't think I'll be able to bear knowing that I've seen all there is to see of Rome.


Et tu, Rome!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Spontaneous Barbeques = the best thing ever


It's official, I'm declaring this the summer of the Spontaneous Barbeque.




We've had two of them in the past two weeks, and both have been so lovely that I am going to take steps to ensure that they happen all summer long.




The necessary ingredients for a Spontaneous Barbeque:




A grill (obviously)
A warm summer night

Deb (the grillmaster)
Good friends (another must)

Good beer/wine

Ribs

Chicken Wings

Some green stuff for an illusion of healthy eating




A few weeks ago Deb was inspired to have a late-night BBQ after our show. She went to the grocery store and got some great stuff, and after work Melanie and A.J. came over and we commenced to grilling and eating. It was 11pm on a Saturday night and we all had two shows the next day, but somehow that didn't matter.




I must state for the record that Deb is the best griller ever, ever. It must be her Texas blood, but you give that girl meat, fire and sauce and she'll make magic.


Yesterday we dropped off my Lesbaru in Mount Airy because her "Check Engine" light was on. Spontaneously we decided to call our favorite lesbian couple Liz and Dawn and they were game for dinner so we tripped off to the grocery store for supplies and Deb worked her magic yet again.


Goodness me, it was delicious. We had ribs and chicken drumsticks and petite steaks and chicken sausage. We drank an awesome zinfandel that went super well with all of our meat. Liz whipped up a huge yummy salad and there were even brownies for dessert! I can't believe that something so spurt of the moment turned out to be so freakin' fantastic. Not to mention how wonderful it was to hang out with Liz and Dawn.


Deb cooked her little heart out and we ate like queens and then she curled up in their big comfy chair and had to be pried out when it was time for us to leave. I think she had a good time. :)


So begins the summer of the Spontaneous Barbeque-- who knows when the next one will pop up? Hopefully you'll be along for it!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Welcome, welcome


In the spirit of my fashion advisor and spiritual mentor, Amanda McKenna, I'm starting a blog to keep all my peeps in the loop of my life here in Philly.

So what's up? Things here are good-- I'm finally in show run for Side by Side by Sondheim. It's simply glorious to not have to worry about rehearsals for the next show while we perform this one.

I'm looking forward to a break this summer, but right now I'm enjoying my show run. Speaking of that, it's time to start tonight's show.

Places, please!