"To die saying, "Shit!" is just not gonna do it."

- Rodney Cottier, during his lecture on "Shakespeare's Kings" this evening, on why people should ask for mercy before they die lest they go to eternal damnation. Overall, a sunny evening of uplifting quotes.

Actually, it was a great lecture by a great lecturer that I hope will come to Harvard this fall! But overall is was a bright spot in a rather gloomy day.

It's getting cold in London. What the fuck? It's August, for chrissake. Stay warm, dammit.

I spent an hour running around Hammersmith mall today looking for a champagne glass. Either the cheapo plastic party kind or the real one. Personally, I think there is something seriously déclassé about a country in which champagne glasses are not readily available at the nearest commercial mecca. It's just not right.

Finally, when I did find one at T.K. Maxx (not T.J. Maxx, mind you; the Brits had to be obstinate and pick a different letter,) I got back to LAMDA huffing and puffing and my acting teacher was like, what's the matter with you? And I was like, I've been running around trying to find a champagne glass for my scene! I'm being very Uta! And she was like, well what did you do that for, I've got tons of them! My goodness I hope you didn't spend money.

No, Jenny, I traded T.K. Maxx a lamb and a bushel of corn for the glass. Sheesh.

I guess I am a bit grumpy today. I have to admit, I'm getting quite homesick. See, this is my homesick face:
Yes, that is a gratuitous webcam photo. I feel like there haven't been enough of them recently.

I miss home and I miss my mom. My brother is having a baby any second now. (Or at least his wife is. He's not the pregnant transman or anything.) I don't get to be there with them, nor do I get to be with my mom when she hears that she has a new grandchild. So that's getting me a bit in the dumps, I suppose.

Regardless, I am doing my damnedest to enjoy my last few days in England. And I mean my damnedest. I expect these next few days to be filled with lots of excitement and intrigue.

...or just rehearsing and sweater-wearing. Same diff.

I didn't mention in my last post the serendipitous meeting I had at Taming of the Shrew on Thursday night. I'm sitting in my seat, waiting for the show to begin, when I glance over and see two people having their picture taken one section over. Aw, how cute, I thought. A couple having their picture taken at a dark and sinister comedy.

Then I did a double take. Wait a minute, I said to myself, I know that tall blonde-headed figure. And I know that petite brunette lady. Which is when I shouted out across the theater, in a very Marianne Dashwood-fashion:

"JOOOOO-NAHHHHH!"


Lo and behold, Mr Jonah and Ms Julianne turned around and betrayed their shock and dismay joy to see me!

I love that the world is small enough that I can run into friends at a Thursday night performance three thousand miles from home. It really made me feel anything can happen.

I have proof of the occurrence:

We are actually all singing "It's a Small World After All". No joke.
Okay, it's a joke, but it would have been appropriate.

Tomorrow we perform our scenes in front of other members of our group for the first time. I'm really nervous. I've never actually performed any Shakespeare before, in my life. So we'll see how that goes.

I miss you all and am thinking about you in my bout of homesickness. Don't worry though, I'll stop thinking about you soon.

:)