Great times with a great little sister:

Megan: "Did you drop something"

Katie: [Not really knowing what she's saying] "No, just my Gangsta' pants"

Megan: "Open the gate..."

Katie: "I'll open your gate."

Katie: [singing] "...Just pay me back with one thousand kisses..."

[pause]

Megan: "Don't touch me"

"Over the River and Through the Woods" Costumes:

So hey there blogging world, We have talked for a while but I have finally found something to chat about. My production I have been directing is slowly progressing, though very slowly. We are now in crunch time with four weeks left meaning FOUR let me repeat FOUR planned rehearsals left. But because I am bored and have so much empty time in my life right now I have drawn up some character costume sketches. These are all what I basically would like for my actor's costumes. In fact fairly soon after I drew up the costume for the character of Emma, my mom found one of her old skirt/suit outfits. So for other information: It is set in the mid eighties. So Nicky's costumes here are suppose to very "young/businessy". Important key elements of this costume is the button suspenders and the white collar/cuff blue shirt. Funny enough the this element and the yellow tie is fairly common in men's fashion today, but it is seen commonly in eighties men's fashion.

For Nicky's "second half" costume picture here on the right also is just simply adding a jacket and a possible tie change.

My next costume is Caitlyn's. It is fairly simple. It is a light and cute summer dress with a light cardigan on top. It fits well to her pe

rsonality of being sweet and neat.

The other concepts I have are the grandparents. Our first couple, Nunzio and Emma, I had thought up that Emma was one of those Old women that think their younger then their actual age, so they dress accordingly. So Emma I have her nicely dressed even with a pair of pumps. And her husband in nice button up and sweater vest. For their costume changes I having Emma add a jacket and Nunzio a bow tie and possibly a different sweater vest.

Our next couple is Frank and Aida. They are a little more homely. Adia is your ideal house wife. She is in a simple "diner's" dress with tights, keds, an apron and cardigan. When she has a costume change she loses everything except the dress and tights with the addition of a scarf and flats. For her husband Frank the first half we have your mechanic'scoveralls with velcro shoes and a truckers hat. For his costume change he will have his other outfit underneath. Button up shirt, suspenders, bow tie, and slacks with the same velcro shoes.

What IS a scary movie? Well in my opinion...

As I sit watching the 2005 "War of the Worlds", my whole body tense from what is happening in the movie. I think of what is considered a scary movie for me. As previously talked about I do have a fear of zombies, saying that most zombie movies do scare me. Most being the key word in that sentence the so far only two movies of the zombie sort do not scare me: "Night of the Living dead" circa 1968; and "Shaun of the Dead" 2004. The first can be more comical then scary but it does get point across (if you get what I mean). [*note: I need to tell you about some cool things I learned about zombies and zombie movies] The second is high-larious and, frankly, one of my favorite movies. Now to other "scary" movies: I have a pretty vivid imagination so most, even slightly, scary movies do give me a fright, but what I consider a good scary movie is one that has you so tense the entire time that you can forget where you are. So tense that your body feels like you just ran a marathon. And really good ones can leave you shaking in your boots and your mind reeling. "Hide and Seek", "The Secret Window", and "The Uninvited" are all what you could consider your psychological thriller, these can be scary, but for me these movies have a fast fading savor, if you will, then others. End of the World/Armageddon movies such as "War of the Worlds" and "I am Legend" are movies that kind of hit that catagory of thrillers that I like to call "Scary Movies that didn't have a budget, and you could see why." The point I am making is that there are too many "scary" movies out there that, sure they are scary and can scare you hairless. But there are gruesome, bloody, nasty, and pointless. All there were made for was to freak a person out and show them some gosh-awful things [with a PG-13 or R rating] I am sick of low budget "slasher" films. I am done with the "Saw" movies that are now going on to their 6th movie. I am not a big scary movie watcher, but when Hollywood will produce things to the caliber of such standards like "I am Legend" and "Hide and Seek" then Scary movies are worth getting scared out of your mind for. I know there is a large population of people out there that just love the gory, nasty scary movies, but can't we have class in this part of movie making too? Such and idea doesn't only need to go to high dramas and low comedies. It can be done and still scare a person speechless. Heck it's happened to me!

"They're coming to get you, Barbara!"

~Johnny Night of the Living Dead

What a shocking culture

The past week I have been trying to get my substitute teaching underway. Now that I am "official" I just need to meet with principles/ asst. principles so that I can be "official" on their lists. I have visited the junior high, two of the elementary, and I have been working on the elementary school and the middle school. I have visited the high school, but it took me twice to actually get to talk to Mr. Ray, an asst. principle there.

As I sat in the waiting area of his office, thinking "thank goodness I wasn't ever an idiot in high school to get in trouble" and how it would be interesting to substitute at the high school especially with my sister a senior there and still knowing a majority of the teachers.

But I digress...

I was waiting because Mr. Ray had a student in his office and the students mother comes into the office. She fits your typical white trash missouri hick with the wafting smell of cigs and booze. She walks into the principle's office, slaming the door behind her. The members of the waiting room though get a distinct "Well, what the H-ll have you done now?". (here on in I will be doing some editing) Now please note here that the walls of the office were pretty thin and you could here almost everything that is said. Especially when it is yelled.

From here on in the conversation made it clear what the general problem was from this student. She was missing too much school and classes. Some of it sounded medical, though from what I recollected it almost rang close to "balemia" rather then some stomach problem. This is where I just sat in disgusted awe at how rude, inconsiderate, close minded, biggity, and RACIST people are around here. The girl's reason she doesn't want to be in "that" class is because it was filled with (please forgive the crude language) "faggots" and "niggers". I wanted to burst into that office and punch the girl in the face. I can't believe how much people around her can't stand anyone who is different. I mean I don't agree with gay marriage, but I still accept homosexuals as people, the deserve just as much respect as anyone one else. And racism in general is so petty. We are all equal. Why can't people see that?

On the other side of this conversation we have the mother of this student. As described above, her manners and language matched accordingly. She first stated clearly that she didn't have time to deal with her daughter's "bull S***" and was sick of have to waste her free time on coming down to the school. From her other comments there was a general lack of true care for her daughter's actions, lack of respect, attitude, and for her daughter overall.

Obviously Mr. Ray wanted something to worked out and talked out, or he wouldn't of cared to call the mother in. He could of just given the girl saturday school and moved on. But the mom had her own head so far up her own butt, that she couldn't see anything pass her own selfish motives.

Sitting through this conversation, made me realize I missed my 99.9% mormon, small town university setting. Swearing was still there and everything, but the general respect level for others is ten times more then most people here. It has been sort of a culture shock since I have been home. I wish people can see past themselves and that there are other people out there, who need their help. Common courteously can still happen, it should not be dead.

"Life is not so short but that there is always time for courtesy"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson.

One of those "ultimate" disappointment moments

So, yesterday I decided that I was going to figure out what classes I needed to take to finish up my schooling. As of two semesters ago I had three semesters left. That means I should currently have two left. That leads me into today's little adventure, you could say. I call the academic advising center so rather than spending hours on the school website looking for my catalogue and all of the classes required for my major/minor I could just be directed straight there. This is when the first "bomb" is set off. I was informed by the advisor lady that I hadn't, after 6 semesters mind you, declared my minor. FURTHER, That the English credits that I have taken up to this point, note that being 8 in total, only two fulfill any requirements. And more sadly both were for my G.E's. So it boils down to that Katie has no hope of finishing school in 2 semesters (plus student teaching) but, in fact, a rough estimate of 5.

[pause of exasperated sigh]

This is where I spent the majority of my day figuring out my real schedule and then informing my parents that I am going to be in school for QUITE some time.

I want say that its "all good" that "such is life" but really I just want to be frustrated. Even if my "two" semesters ended up being three. It just feels so much better then 5. But There is Katie Ludlow's mid-week crisis.

I am sure this will be a good thing, I have faith that it will.

"Frankly Scarlet, I don't give a damn"

-Gone with the wind

Kinemortophobia

There are people out there that have Arachnephobia, the fear of spiders, Hyspsiphobia, the fear of heights, Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, or even Paraskevidekatriaphobia, the fear of Fridy the 13th. There are thousands of "phobias" out there in this world, but I have Kinemortophobia or as the professionals say, The "irrational" fear of Zombies. [pause for dramatic effect] Yes this is true. I know you are laughing as you read it but I do have a fear of zombies and it may be "irrational" but it is there. Don't quite know how it started or when was that big realization of when I was scared of them, but they seem to stubble, no real pun intended, into my dreams making any somewhat normal dream into a nightmare.

In the history of fears in my life, which isn't very long overall, I have eventually gotten over several of my phobia's in the past. Spiders, naw. Swimming in lakes, a piece of cake. Talking to boys, almost a professional. Reading Shakespeare, slowly but surely getting there. Just kidding on those last two. Boys are just stupid not scary. (Haha)

My point is that I would think that something like this, a fear of zombies, would just pass by. My mind really realizing that Zombies are in fact Not Real, and I can not fear desert parking lots at night with fog rolling in mysteriously as a distant ominous moan is heard in the rather nearby distance. Yeah, my imagination tends to get a little crazy sometimes.

Though I have been told that I do have a rather irrational fear of zombies. I do have one and that maybe someday I will get over. BUT until that day I shall always have my "zombie survival guide" book handy at all times, just in case of an emergency, and to always remember that a chainsaw without gas is about as useful against attacking zombies as a AM/FM radio.

No matter how "irrational" your fears may be, take comfort that this crazy theatre major from a small hick town has one of the most "irrational" fears of all.

Just in case of an zombie invasion here are some quick tricks to remember:

1. Organize before they rise!

2. They feel no fear, why should you?

3. Use your head: cut off theirs.

4. Blades don't need reloading.

5. Ideal protection: tight clothes, short hair.

6. Get up the stair case, then destroy it.

7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.

8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!

9. No place is safe, only safer.

10. The zombie may be gone, but the treat lives on.

~The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead

By: Max Brooks

[Read it... you'll get a good laugh out of it.]

Be kind and learn to be a real person!

There is a line from one of my favorite TV shows Firefly, "You're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater." That last bit is my point for this blog, plus some other points that need to be made. I have been back in my hometown for the first time in about a year and a half. I have been in living about place where people are people, don't get me wrong, but they seem to have just a little more common courtesy then anyone in this hick town.

I just this weekend went and saw, for the 2nd time, the excellent show Sherlock Holmes. I sat through that movie and had to endure people getting up and down on several occasions, chatting with their neighbors, and flashing their cellphones when texting. I don't care if I had seen that movie already. I don't care if they don't care they spent $8.25 and are now wasting that movie by not watching it. If you want to text, talk, and walk around do it OUTSIDE!

I thinking about this instance makes me reflect on life in general here in this small town. Compared to life in a small town several of miles away on the other side of the country, it really makes the place look like a hick town where people do not understand the concept of being considerate. I can't stand how people are obviously judging you before you even speak to them, I rage at how people can't even show the littlest measure of decorum.

It is an idea that is certainly on the increase but it is a thing that can never be forgotten. We need to be examples to others, though saying that I can't promise that I won't chew out the guy behind me who keeps up a running commentary in a movie theatre. I wasn't saying I was perfect.

Also From Firefly:

Mal: "Patients were cynical and not responding and we couldn't bring 'em back-"

Simon: "They were cyanotic and not responsive."