"The recipe for fun is pretty simple raising boys: Add to any activity an element of danger, stir in a little exploration, add a dash of destruction, and you've got yourself a winner."
-John Eldridge
I can believe this. I can FIRMLY believe this. I have seen evidence of this on nearly every adventure with the guys, and this line just explains it to my girl-brain: "Oh, THAT'S what they're doing."
Ethan and I were talking about this the other day. We were at the mall, because neither of us really 'get' the mall, but I was starved for sunlight and it was too cold to walk and talk outside. By definition, if you say, "it's a guy thing," you're referring to anything where all the guys say, "Cool!" and all the girls say, "Why?!"
For example, last summer, my dear friend and manager (for lack of a better term) was making plans to build a trebuchet at Camp.
Immediately,
Guys: Cool!
Girls: Why?!
Being female, I can see the logic on the latter. Camp is about the kids. You couldn't possibly keep the kids off the thing. Camp only owns property on one side of the river. Presumably, if you have this thing AT Camp, the already-cranky neighbors on the OTHER side of the river are going to assume that it will at some point be used against them. There's limited open horizontal space at Camp - if you WERE to build such thing, the only stable place for it is in the middle of the soccer field.
But, after being convinced of the opening statement here, and hanging out with the guys, I can see the logic supporting having a siege engine at Camp. Mainly, that there isn't one there yet.
This, of course, is not to suggest that if there were a trebuchet at Camp, the guys would scrap these plans. Never. Rather, the plans would immediately be to improve the trebuchet, to hurl new and larger objects with it, to increase its accuracy, and most importantly, to at some point build a second one, so that battles might be had. At some point, this would be so out of control that we would be changing our name to Camp Trebuchet*.
Guys: "Duh."
Girls: "What??"
*I actually kind of like the ring this has to it, but I can't quite see parents being keen on sending their offspring to such a place. Or, at least, I can't see mothers sending their offspring to such a place. Fathers would be trying to figure out how they could sign up as campers.
This is because, no matter how old a guy gets, some part of him will always be fifteen. And I think that there's been some unnecessary bashing of that quality. I can't precisely pin down what it is, but there seems to be something truly worthwhile about that explorative spirit that has far greater priorities than self-preservation.
Yes, entertainment is also a result, but that might be more of a byproduct than anything else.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Bear and I have a tradition.
It started one year with Bear asking, "Hey, what do you want for Christmas?"
The problem here is that I don't really get gifts. I receive them, certainly. I just don't understand the point. If I need something, I go get it. There's usually not a lot that I need, I have too much stuff as it is. What with moving in a month, I'm trying to clear out a lot of the stuff that I do have.
A dear friend of mine takes this concept a step further. You can't give Rahni anything. It doesn't work. She's terribly polite, and will accept it with a smile around whose edges plays a touch of uncertainty. And, within the next six months, no matter what it is, she will have gotten rid of it. She already has what she needs, and anything else is just extra. If an item is extra, it serves no purpose - gotta clear it out for the things that do.
There's an Aborigine saying, something to the effect of, "It's only a gift if the receiver wants it." If it's something that they didn't really want, then it's just a gift to you, the giver. You get to feel better, because you got them something.
So, I told Bear that I just wanted a day. Just the two of us.
This is kind of a big sacrifice from Bear, and I knew this when I asked. He's wildly popular, frenetically social, and terribly busy. All the time, everywhere he goes. That's Bear. Asking for a day takes a lot of time away from the other things he's doing. Asking for a day with no one else - Bear multitasks at socializing. It might just be because that's the only way that he can manage most of his relationships - that he sees six people at a time.
But, okay. Well, then the next issue comes up. What do we do with a day together?
I like the outdoors. And the woods. And getting active, and competing for the right to be top-dog, and talking about all kinds of things. Bear likes big social groups, and video games, and listening to dark music.
So, we settle on a movie day.
It's well-understood that Bear and I have wildly different tastes. Last year, we did an every-other thing.
1) Willow
2) Requiem for a Dream
3) Pretty in Pink (the only reason to watch this movie is Duckie, but Bear hadn't met Duckie, and that simply had to be rectified)
4) Something Fairly Dark Whose Title And Plot I Can No Longer Remember
5) Yellowbeard (meeting halfway)
This year, the plan ran:
1) Stardust
2) Fight Club
3) Peter Pan (2003)
4) The Pianist (kind of meeting halfway)
Save that somebody forgot his copy Fight Club back on the other side of the Rockies, and The Pianist was not available. Somehow, The Big Lebowski made it on the list instead.
It started one year with Bear asking, "Hey, what do you want for Christmas?"
The problem here is that I don't really get gifts. I receive them, certainly. I just don't understand the point. If I need something, I go get it. There's usually not a lot that I need, I have too much stuff as it is. What with moving in a month, I'm trying to clear out a lot of the stuff that I do have.
A dear friend of mine takes this concept a step further. You can't give Rahni anything. It doesn't work. She's terribly polite, and will accept it with a smile around whose edges plays a touch of uncertainty. And, within the next six months, no matter what it is, she will have gotten rid of it. She already has what she needs, and anything else is just extra. If an item is extra, it serves no purpose - gotta clear it out for the things that do.
There's an Aborigine saying, something to the effect of, "It's only a gift if the receiver wants it." If it's something that they didn't really want, then it's just a gift to you, the giver. You get to feel better, because you got them something.
So, I told Bear that I just wanted a day. Just the two of us.
This is kind of a big sacrifice from Bear, and I knew this when I asked. He's wildly popular, frenetically social, and terribly busy. All the time, everywhere he goes. That's Bear. Asking for a day takes a lot of time away from the other things he's doing. Asking for a day with no one else - Bear multitasks at socializing. It might just be because that's the only way that he can manage most of his relationships - that he sees six people at a time.
But, okay. Well, then the next issue comes up. What do we do with a day together?
I like the outdoors. And the woods. And getting active, and competing for the right to be top-dog, and talking about all kinds of things. Bear likes big social groups, and video games, and listening to dark music.
So, we settle on a movie day.
It's well-understood that Bear and I have wildly different tastes. Last year, we did an every-other thing.
1) Willow
2) Requiem for a Dream
3) Pretty in Pink (the only reason to watch this movie is Duckie, but Bear hadn't met Duckie, and that simply had to be rectified)
4) Something Fairly Dark Whose Title And Plot I Can No Longer Remember
5) Yellowbeard (meeting halfway)
This year, the plan ran:
1) Stardust
2) Fight Club
3) Peter Pan (2003)
4) The Pianist (kind of meeting halfway)
Save that somebody forgot his copy Fight Club back on the other side of the Rockies, and The Pianist was not available. Somehow, The Big Lebowski made it on the list instead.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Debate
Arguments against:
It's going to be rather noticeable. I did not design this one small. While I can easily dress to conceal it for work and day-to-day life, it'll be really obvious in a swimsuit. Do I care? Well...I guess it depends on who I'm going swimming with. Most people, I don't see it as a problem.
I'm going to get older. My body's going to shift. What's this going to look like when I'm sixty? Well, the point was about what it stands for, more than how it looks. The added wrinkles and sag will quite possibly render it less attractive, and I need to figure out how much that matters to me.
I'm going to get married at some point. I don't know how, or when, or possibly even why, but I know God's got it planned. And I don't know whether it's the kind of thing where my husband would think it was cool, or he'd be disappointed by it.
Even if he's cool with it, there's a real possibility that I'm going to be a grandmother someday. Well, I guess that's not really a motivator, Grandma's going to be pretty odd in the grandkids opinions anyway. :)
And, possibly the biggest motivator, how much it'll cost, vs. a number of much better things I'd rather do with that money. Like freeing a couple of girls from slavery.
So, in conclusion - I'd go for it, if I knew my husband would think it was cool, and I couldn't give the money to anything else. But since I know of better places for the finances, and I don't yet know my husband's view, I think this one's out.
It does look really cool, though.
It's going to be rather noticeable. I did not design this one small. While I can easily dress to conceal it for work and day-to-day life, it'll be really obvious in a swimsuit. Do I care? Well...I guess it depends on who I'm going swimming with. Most people, I don't see it as a problem.
I'm going to get older. My body's going to shift. What's this going to look like when I'm sixty? Well, the point was about what it stands for, more than how it looks. The added wrinkles and sag will quite possibly render it less attractive, and I need to figure out how much that matters to me.
I'm going to get married at some point. I don't know how, or when, or possibly even why, but I know God's got it planned. And I don't know whether it's the kind of thing where my husband would think it was cool, or he'd be disappointed by it.
Even if he's cool with it, there's a real possibility that I'm going to be a grandmother someday. Well, I guess that's not really a motivator, Grandma's going to be pretty odd in the grandkids opinions anyway. :)
And, possibly the biggest motivator, how much it'll cost, vs. a number of much better things I'd rather do with that money. Like freeing a couple of girls from slavery.
So, in conclusion - I'd go for it, if I knew my husband would think it was cool, and I couldn't give the money to anything else. But since I know of better places for the finances, and I don't yet know my husband's view, I think this one's out.
It does look really cool, though.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Amanda Needs
So, another random Internet thing is to take your first name and enter it into Google with the word "needs," and offer up the first ten, twelve, or twenty results.
1. Amanda needs you to Map yourself. (Yep. I'm a lazy stalker. Coordinates. Go.)
2. Amanda needs wisdom and strength to do what is right. (Always.)
3. Amanda needs to pee. (Not at the moment...)
4. Amanda needs prayers and the Lord Jesus Christ's guidance. (Yep.)
5. Amanda needs to know the truth about Kyle. (Gasp! Wait...which Kyle?)
6. Amanda needs help. (Yep. Kinda buried right now.)
7. Amanda needs more ink. (Ironic, considering the tattoo-related discussions we've been having lately).
8. Amanda needs to read Barbara Bush's speech to Wellesley Graduates (this is news to me).
9. Amanda needs to get help busting skulls, not new friends. (Possibly because I'm not much of a
skull-buster to begin with, and before I can make new friends, I need the current ones to teach me this.)
10. Amanda needs a car. (Apparently one is not enough.)
11. Amanda needs a TARDIS. (in case the car doesn't work out, I guess.)
12. Amanda needs to go crazy. (I'm working on it! :P )
1. Amanda needs you to Map yourself. (Yep. I'm a lazy stalker. Coordinates. Go.)
2. Amanda needs wisdom and strength to do what is right. (Always.)
3. Amanda needs to pee. (Not at the moment...)
4. Amanda needs prayers and the Lord Jesus Christ's guidance. (Yep.)
5. Amanda needs to know the truth about Kyle. (Gasp! Wait...which Kyle?)
6. Amanda needs help. (Yep. Kinda buried right now.)
7. Amanda needs more ink. (Ironic, considering the tattoo-related discussions we've been having lately).
8. Amanda needs to read Barbara Bush's speech to Wellesley Graduates (this is news to me).
9. Amanda needs to get help busting skulls, not new friends. (Possibly because I'm not much of a
skull-buster to begin with, and before I can make new friends, I need the current ones to teach me this.)
10. Amanda needs a car. (Apparently one is not enough.)
11. Amanda needs a TARDIS. (in case the car doesn't work out, I guess.)
12. Amanda needs to go crazy. (I'm working on it! :P )
Help With the Chores
Yesterday, I decorated the Christmas tree!
During the time it took me to do that, my Dad decided to
1) Clear the ice off my car (a common occurrance, when you live in MN and park outside every night).
2) Check and change my oil.
3) And refill my tires.
I would also state that it was thirty degrees in our garage, which makes working on the cars much less enjoyable.
If that doesn't seem like a big deal, these are all chores that I normally do myself (well, I wuss out on changing oil and just take it to Firestone - I CAN do it, but I've never done it solo), but I haven't had time to take care of with school and other chores (like decorating the Christmas tree!). And the big point on this was that I hadn't said anything about it to him - he just asked when I'd done it last, and went and took care of it.
My Dad loves me!
During the time it took me to do that, my Dad decided to
1) Clear the ice off my car (a common occurrance, when you live in MN and park outside every night).
2) Check and change my oil.
3) And refill my tires.
I would also state that it was thirty degrees in our garage, which makes working on the cars much less enjoyable.
If that doesn't seem like a big deal, these are all chores that I normally do myself (well, I wuss out on changing oil and just take it to Firestone - I CAN do it, but I've never done it solo), but I haven't had time to take care of with school and other chores (like decorating the Christmas tree!). And the big point on this was that I hadn't said anything about it to him - he just asked when I'd done it last, and went and took care of it.
My Dad loves me!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Letter to Tech Support
Dear Sirs:
Last year I upgraded from Community Theatre 5.0 to Small Professional Theatre 1.0 and noticed that the new program began making unexpected changes.
It installed something called Microsoft Stage Manager™ which it launches whenever rehearsal software is powered up, severely limiting access to munchies, praise, and practical joke applications that operated flawlessly under Community Theatre 5.0. No mention of this phenomenon was included in the product brochure.
In addition, Stage Manager 1.0 uninstalls many other valuable programs such as Hamming 2.0, Smoking in Costume 7.5, Coming and Going at Will 5.6, Unlimited Comps 8.3 and Borrowing Theatre's Equipment 2.3 and installs new, undesirable programs such as Schedule 3.1, Discipline 1.3, Expectations 5.0, and Accountability 2.4.
Divafit 4.1 no longer runs at all, and invariably crashes the system. Under no circumstances will it run Whining 14.1. I've tried running Attitude 5.3 to fix Stage Manager 1.0, but this all-purpose utility is of limited effectiveness.
Can you help please?!!!!
Jane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Jane:
This is a very common problem many actors complain about, but is mostly due to a primary misconception. Many people upgrade from Community Theatre 5.0 to Small Professional Theatre 1.0 with no idea that Community Theatre 5.0 is merely an ENTERTAINMENT package for actors.
However, Small Professional Theatre 1.0 is a performance OPERATING SYSTEM and was designed by its creator to run as few applications as possible, eliminating unnecessary routines and delegating as many tasks as it can to the end-user in order to conserve all system resources for its own use.
It is impossible to uninstall, delete, or purge the Stage Manager files from the system, once installed, as Stage Manager 1.0 rewrites your other software so that it rejects Community Theatre 5.0 routines once exposed to SM's superior methods.
Having Stage Manager 1.0 installed myself, I would suggest you read the entire section of the Owner's Manual regarding General Director Faults (GDFs). This is a wonderful feature of Stage Manager 1.0, secretly installed by the parent company as an integral part of the operating system. Stage Manager 1.0 will take on ALL responsibility for ALL faults and problems, regardless of root cause, and will somehow solve EVERYTHING. To activate this great feature enter the command C:\DIRECTOR\SCATTERED_DREAMER-SENSITIVE_ARTIST\CAN'T_FUNCTION_WITHOUT_YOU. Sometimes Actors-R-Idiots 6.0 or higher must be run simultaneously while entering the command. Stage Manager 1.0 should then run the applications Organize 12.3 and Miracles 7.8.
TECH TIP! Avoid excessive use of this feature. Overuse can create additional and more serious GDFs, and ultimately you may have to give a C:\APOLOGIZE\RAISE\PERSONAL_DAY command before the system will return to normal operations.
Overuse can also cause Stage Manager 1.0 to default to GrumpySilence 2.5, or worse yet, ArtSearch 6.0.
GrumpySilence 2.5 is a very bad program that can create Dysfunctional.Acting files that clog all rehearsal and performance programs and are very hard to delete. Save yourself some trouble by following this tech tip! Just remember, the system will run smoothly and take the blame for all GDFs, but because of this fine feature it can only intermittently run all the entertainment applications Community Theatre 5.0 ran.
After several years of use, Stage Manager 1.0 will become familiar and you will find many valuable embedded features such as FixesBrokenThings 2.1 and Ensemble Loyalty 4.2.
A final word of caution! Do NOT, under any circumstances, install any version of MeddlesomeAdministrator. This is not a supported application, and will cause selective shut down of the operating system. StageManager 1.0 will run only CurtGoingThruTheMotions and CovertArtSearch until MeddlesomeAdministrator is uninstalled.
I hope these notes have helped. Thank you for choosing to install Small Professional Theatre 1.0 and we here at Tech Support wish you the best of luck in coming years.
Tech Support
-----
Ran across this, looking for something to share with my theater-major sister. :)
Last year I upgraded from Community Theatre 5.0 to Small Professional Theatre 1.0 and noticed that the new program began making unexpected changes.
It installed something called Microsoft Stage Manager™ which it launches whenever rehearsal software is powered up, severely limiting access to munchies, praise, and practical joke applications that operated flawlessly under Community Theatre 5.0. No mention of this phenomenon was included in the product brochure.
In addition, Stage Manager 1.0 uninstalls many other valuable programs such as Hamming 2.0, Smoking in Costume 7.5, Coming and Going at Will 5.6, Unlimited Comps 8.3 and Borrowing Theatre's Equipment 2.3 and installs new, undesirable programs such as Schedule 3.1, Discipline 1.3, Expectations 5.0, and Accountability 2.4.
Divafit 4.1 no longer runs at all, and invariably crashes the system. Under no circumstances will it run Whining 14.1. I've tried running Attitude 5.3 to fix Stage Manager 1.0, but this all-purpose utility is of limited effectiveness.
Can you help please?!!!!
Jane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Jane:
This is a very common problem many actors complain about, but is mostly due to a primary misconception. Many people upgrade from Community Theatre 5.0 to Small Professional Theatre 1.0 with no idea that Community Theatre 5.0 is merely an ENTERTAINMENT package for actors.
However, Small Professional Theatre 1.0 is a performance OPERATING SYSTEM and was designed by its creator to run as few applications as possible, eliminating unnecessary routines and delegating as many tasks as it can to the end-user in order to conserve all system resources for its own use.
It is impossible to uninstall, delete, or purge the Stage Manager files from the system, once installed, as Stage Manager 1.0 rewrites your other software so that it rejects Community Theatre 5.0 routines once exposed to SM's superior methods.
Having Stage Manager 1.0 installed myself, I would suggest you read the entire section of the Owner's Manual regarding General Director Faults (GDFs). This is a wonderful feature of Stage Manager 1.0, secretly installed by the parent company as an integral part of the operating system. Stage Manager 1.0 will take on ALL responsibility for ALL faults and problems, regardless of root cause, and will somehow solve EVERYTHING. To activate this great feature enter the command C:\DIRECTOR\SCATTERED_DREAMER-SENSITIVE_ARTIST\CAN'T_FUNCTION_WITHOUT_YOU. Sometimes Actors-R-Idiots 6.0 or higher must be run simultaneously while entering the command. Stage Manager 1.0 should then run the applications Organize 12.3 and Miracles 7.8.
TECH TIP! Avoid excessive use of this feature. Overuse can create additional and more serious GDFs, and ultimately you may have to give a C:\APOLOGIZE\RAISE\PERSONAL_DAY command before the system will return to normal operations.
Overuse can also cause Stage Manager 1.0 to default to GrumpySilence 2.5, or worse yet, ArtSearch 6.0.
GrumpySilence 2.5 is a very bad program that can create Dysfunctional.Acting files that clog all rehearsal and performance programs and are very hard to delete. Save yourself some trouble by following this tech tip! Just remember, the system will run smoothly and take the blame for all GDFs, but because of this fine feature it can only intermittently run all the entertainment applications Community Theatre 5.0 ran.
After several years of use, Stage Manager 1.0 will become familiar and you will find many valuable embedded features such as FixesBrokenThings 2.1 and Ensemble Loyalty 4.2.
A final word of caution! Do NOT, under any circumstances, install any version of MeddlesomeAdministrator. This is not a supported application, and will cause selective shut down of the operating system. StageManager 1.0 will run only CurtGoingThruTheMotions and CovertArtSearch until MeddlesomeAdministrator is uninstalled.
I hope these notes have helped. Thank you for choosing to install Small Professional Theatre 1.0 and we here at Tech Support wish you the best of luck in coming years.
Tech Support
-----
Ran across this, looking for something to share with my theater-major sister. :)
You're Invited!
Chatting with one Mr. Bille after one of the concerts. Just the general catchup that happens after you haven't seen each other or hung out for about a year. Parts of this year had been very exciting for each of us - I'd had some adventures in varying degrees of danger, and he'd graduated. But, after a laughter-filled retelling
"I'm sad! I didn't know about any of this, and no one really knows we're friends, and I don't know if I'd get an invitation to your funeral!"
I think I gracefully refrained from spitting out my Sprite, but it was close. Laughter ensued once more. "Usually, most people don't get invitations to funerals, just the closest family and friends. Everyone else, you hear about it, and you just go."
"But, I wouldn't know about it!"
So, by the end of that exchange, Ryan had exacted a promise that, when it's time, he will get an invitation to my funeral. Everyone else gets an announcement.
"I'm sad! I didn't know about any of this, and no one really knows we're friends, and I don't know if I'd get an invitation to your funeral!"
I think I gracefully refrained from spitting out my Sprite, but it was close. Laughter ensued once more. "Usually, most people don't get invitations to funerals, just the closest family and friends. Everyone else, you hear about it, and you just go."
"But, I wouldn't know about it!"
So, by the end of that exchange, Ryan had exacted a promise that, when it's time, he will get an invitation to my funeral. Everyone else gets an announcement.
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