Make-up! Act I

Well, I signed up to do make up for "Papa", thinking that I'd be doing the make up of "Extra #3" and maybe, "guy with three lines." But who did I get? The Narrator, Lyd, and Papa Patz! Yes, I somehow managed to get assigned to do Papa.

This is slightly nerving! I mean, I mess up his make up, and the main character looks bad! And if I have to redo it all... Consequences could be bad! But oh the fun of it!

It's fun to be stage crew only. Hehe!

This is going to take a fair chunk out of my evenings next week, so if I seem a little cranky or frustrated or whatever, it's because I'm having a hard time getting everything done.

Weeelll... that's all for now...

-Frank

Under-representation

And if that ^ is not a logical or correct word constructiony thing-a-ma-jig, it is now! HA! Take that Sarek!

This post is going to be dedicated to Star Trek because I just think it's so spiffy awesome a show! That, and doing all the research to figure out what I was going to do for today sorta got me going back to my Trekkie roots... so now I'm on a Star Trek jag. If you see me do the whole "Live Long and Prosper" thing, don't be alarmed. I'll be back to "normal" *cough* shortly.

Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. It's five year mission, to seek out new life and new civilization. To boldly go where no man has gone before!

Anyway, today being the last day of Spirit Day, I was hoping to see a few Trekie's come out of the wood work. Well, apparently they are all bigger George Lucas fans than Gene Rodenbarry fans, because I think I was the only person supporting Star Trek at school today.

For me, before there was Star Wars, there was Star Trek. I grew up watching Captain Kirk fly around with Mr. Spock (I learned quite young that Mr. Spock and Dr. Spock were NOT the same person. These things were made quite clear in our house.)and Bones. Star Wars was introduced later, and I liked it okay, but you can't beat the theatrical, futuristic show (that changed the world!) that is Star Trek. What other show could have diseases like xenopolycythemia, or have episodes with gangsters, another with Apollo, and the first public introduction to the CD and get away with it? None I tell you! Or very very few! But none have had the impact that Star Trek has!

Going back to the characters- Everyone has their favorites. Some like the dramatic ways of James T. Kirk, some prefer the ever logical Spock. Some people go for Scotty, others Chekov, Sulu, O'hura(sp?), or Bones. Personally, I love them all! But it's always the characters made of random props that I like!

Take that one episode where there was that creature that looked like half cooled lava that Spock mind melded with. Or the Trouble with Tribbles episode. Mechanical balls of fluff. Gotta love that! So small, so cute! I wonder if they were allowed to keep them after shooting that episode...

One thing about the show that I never realized til Drama Mama (that'd be my mom!) pointed out was this: The show is very theatrically done. Almost a Shakespearean theatrical quality to it. Though the props and sets were often very basic and simplistic, they always created the right allusion with the help of dramatic lighting, characters, and of course, make up. Often, as I recall, the planets were symbolized by a few props and a solid colored back ground. Nothing fancy, but it definitely conveyed the idea. It was imagination television in a way!

Going back to the make up. Often it was nothing spectacular. Like the Vulcans. A little pancake over the eyebrows, some eye liner, BOOM! THere ya go. The pointy ears are a little more difficult, but the truth of the matter is a person with a little time could do a very true to the show Vulcan costume with out hurting their wallet too badly.

Then of course, the sliding doors, the communicators, the transporters, all the nifty props... a little harder for anyone to just make on the weekend, but they were all really basic.

All this rambling to say, at the end of the show, it was half what you saw, and half what you imagined that made Star Trek so much fun to watch. Which is why I love it so... I have a crazy imagination, and when I was a little kid, I could put a lot into the show, so I could get a lot out. There is something to be said for drama done like this- it sticks with you longer. When all the imagination is gone, and you're spoon fed all the awesome and wonderful stuff, it takes some of the imagination out of it for the viewer. At least for me. That was one reason I didn't like Star Wars. All the stuff looked so real and so believable, which is great, but I didn't have to imagine anything. I could watch it mindlessly. Not as much fun.

But, as is true with many things people go crazy over, the funnest part about it is doing the crazy little picture/caption/spoofs that the fans do. The fandom is what helps make it so much fun.

Anyway, since in light of today, the fact I am dressed like a Vulcan (but being crazy/emotional like a Romulan or Klingon), and because I think you can't have too much Star Trek in the world, I posted a few pics I was sent with captions. Live long and prosper.

Apparently Never Here

I know my blog is called "Never Here" but that hardly means I'm never here! Why do I say this? Because I have been given demerits twice now for not showing up to places. Devo's and Chapel. I got an email one day a few weeks ago telling me to go pick up a demerit slip. I did so, and lo and behold, there were 15 demerits with my name on them for supposedly ditching devotions. I looked at the date, thought for a minute, then said, "Wait a sec! I haven't missed anything this year!" So I had to get that straightened out.

Well, it has happened again! This time, they said I ditched chapel on Friday. Even though I was not there, that hardly means I was unlawfully skipping it! I was home for the weekend, sitting at Granny's house while everyone else was in chapel. I had a nifty pass and everything. So, now I must track down the guy who is responsible for passes and all that and get him to repeal my demerits. Otherwise, it's off to demerit review for me! No thank you! Hopefully, I'll be able to catch him right after first or second hour. Maybe during third. *sigh* Not that it's a big deal... it's just annoying.

And in other news! I've been feeling blah all week... the whole two days of it... Yesterday the room was spinning and I was feeling almost feverish... in a way. Today, I get slightly chilled, but my throat is sore and gunky from sinus drainage. Gotta love that. No spinning rooms... just potential allergic reactions to medication... that's all.

See, I woke up this morning feeling like my head was being bound to the point of cracking. No fun. So, I took some Ibu profien... but for some reason it was or had an NSAID in it. Which is fine. NSAID's like Naproxen are great pain killers... assuming you're not allergic. Wouldn't you know it, I am! And it doesn't work for me! That was no fun. I ended up spending a good deal of time on the phone with the nurse explaining everything to her and then having to trek over to the nurse's station for benedryl. By God's grace the Benedryl didn't knock me out! It usually does, but it didn't today. And... added blessings! It seems to have prevented me having a reaction. WHEE!!!

I really hate it when I do have a reaction. It stinks. The left side of my upper lip swells and gets red and itchy, then there is a spot on my left shoulder that gets swollen and red and itchy, and a spot on one of my shoulder blades (I can't recall which one at the moment). It lasts for two or three days, which is highly annoying, and on my arm and back it leaves a scar of sorts that looks like a bruise. It's always a fun one trying to explain to people.

"Oh, how did you bruise yourself?"
"It's not a bruise, actually, it's a scar left over from an allergic reaction to medication."
"Huh?"

So then I have to explain it all and it's no short story. Cuz it's usually people that kinda know me, so they want the whole history of it, and then they have questions, so I pull out my medical records... well... not quite. But it feels that way!

Okay, enough complaining.
And as for the Canadian Uncle Sam pic... completely random...

Surprising People

Today was a very productive day! I went to my high school's home soccer game today. Half of the people that saw me did a double take. It was amazing to see the looks on their faces!

First glance: Oh, Frank.
Look away: Wait a second...
Second glance: Frank's home from college!

That was most of the people at the soccer game. With my cousins, however, it was quite a different story!

My cousins had absolutely no idea I was home... so I had a little fun! I was IMing George (not her real name... but what I call her) and asking her when a good time to call her would be. Once I figured out she would be home all evening, I told her I had some stuff to do, but would call her once I got it done.

I logged off, got in my truck, and drove to her house. Once I got there, I called her from the truck as I carefully got out, and just started chatting like I was yet up at college. As I talked, I walked up to her door, rang the doorbell, and my other cousin (I call her Jimmy Beaureguard) answered the door. She looked at me as if I had returned from the dead. After a few seconds she stepped aside, and I walked into the door. George was standing in the door way that leads to the kitchen, and she stared at me absolutely dumb struck. With jaw agape she looked at me, looked at the phone, and once she realized that I was indeed really standing there, she rushed at me and gave me a bear hug.

It was wonderful being able to talk to them both! I was over there a little over two hours. It was great to have a chance to catch them up on everything.

The only thing that no one is caught up on is what all my college friends look like. All they have are my descriptions, which, are not as good as pictures. So consider this a warning... I shall take your picture in the not so distant future! Mwahahaha!

More shall come later on how my weekend went. And I'm sure verbal accounts shall be given too. But until then, I have a "written" record.

Ooh, note on the picture: That is a picture of part of my side yard. The brown building in the center of the pic is actually the garage. (the little building behind it being our mini-barn) My house is the green building on the left. That actually does look like a house... when you can see all of it. And it was taken last winter. Just so you know.

This and That

This is going to be completely random. More so than usual. So just bear with please! :o)

If you look away for four seconds, the whole world goes crazy and you think, "Surely the Lord shall be returning soon!"

Just look at a few of these headlines from drudgereport.com-
Young shoppers want to pay with chip in skin
North Korea Threatens War Against U.S.
Small Aircraft Hits Manhatten Building

The last story is developing and is the top story on drudgereport.com.

You look at the headlines and everything is chaotic, negative, frightening, sad, whatever... and then you look at Christ and suddenly all fears pass away. To realize that our Lord has complete control of everything takes away all worries, all doubts, and all cares. What a wonderful Lord we serve!

---Change!---
You know, I've often wondered, and one day I will find out why, someone invented Cheez-wiz. It is just such a random thing to think of! "Oh, I think I'll invent a way to have cheese come out of a can! Yeah!" Same question goes towards Redi-whip.

---Change!---
It never ceases to amaze me how one moment in time can change everything. Days, months, years will set the stage for one defining moment in time that causes the very world itself to change. The set up may take centuries, and the consequences may be felt for centuries, but the event that actually changes everything lasts not very long at all.

Simply look at any major world event and you'll see that often it is an action that took only minutes or seconds to execute is the one that changes the world.

It is almost scary to think about, and yet wonderfully thrilling to realize that your entire life could be changed in a moment. It could take a negative turn (or at least, what seems negative) or it could take a positive turn.

---Change!---
I wonder how much of Revelation is symbolic and how much is actual. I also wonder if God will let us see what's going on down here when we're in Heaven.

---Change!---
My second cousin Tony once told me "Spontenaity is the spice of life!" I'm not sure how true that is, or how far you want to take that idea... but my blog is sure living by it!

Alright, alright. Now that I've been completely random and I've left you all staring at my blog saying, "How much coffee did she drink?!" (none by the way!) I'm going to say fare well for now!

Fare well for now!
-Frank

Plotting and Planning

Plotting and planning what to do for Spirit Week can be quite the task! Particularly Comic Strip/Video Game Day and Space Day.

I think I've got Space Day down... Assuming I can get a hold of spirit gum or prosthetic ears... I have two ideas for Space Day. The one would be nigh unto impossible unless I could find a LOT of glitter and magically come into the possession of a toga. The other is do-able, especially since I have learned that my dear roomies have a silver shirt! YES! Now I just need a skirt to go along with it... hmm... It's more likely to happen.

Comic strip/Video Game day is presenting all sorts of problems. Princess Toadstool was a notion, but I'm not blond, nor do I have a tiara. Sorta got the dress. Then I thought Lucy from Peanuts, but I don't have a blue dress. Then I thought Peppermint Patty, but I don't have a green shirt, or short enough hair.

The thought of MJ crossed my mind, but I don't know if I could come across a red wig in time.

Alas... I'm no closer to figureing out who I should do. I'm getting a nice long list of stuff I shouldn't do though! Suggestions are welcome!