Don't make no deals with the devil

Some shots from Seve's production of Tales of Terror from the Tragic Valley. The annual show contains several vignettes all centered on a theme, this year's being The Twilight Zone. These particular shots are from a scene about a man unsuccessfully trying to kill himself after receiving immortality from the devil. He had tried to throw himself off a building, and when his wife tried to stop him, threw her instead. Thus, you know, jail.

K let's play GUESS WHO.

Guess who went to the wrong address for her new visiting teach-ee? Guess who walked up the driveway to find a man passed out in the yard? Guess who called out "Sir? Sir?" and when she didn't receive a response went up the rest of the way to ring the doorbell in case the man was just the teach-ee's wayward son? Guess who encountered a very unhappy Saint Bernard on her way back to the car when no one answered the door? Guess who called her VT partner in a panic over the whole situation once safely to her car? Guess whose VT partner was confused at her worry because she was picturing this girl trembling in fear at the actual dog of their teach-ee, a Pomeranian? GUESS WHO

Guess who ended up hating his Thomas the Tank Engine costume even though it's his favorite show? Even though he picked it out at the store, even though he's foregoed all titles such as "Mama" and "Dada" and instead simply refers to everyone as "Thomas?" Guess who's mother will now be going as a train for Halloween because she lost the receipt and can't return the costume and doesn't want it to go to waste? GUESS WHO

Guess who ate nothing but pizza and caramel popcorn today because it's my life why not? Guess who now feels like they want to die and throw up all over the living room and kitchen and bathroom and did I mention die? GUESS WHOOOOO

Well, that was a fun game.

ps HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The Mummy's Claw

Promotional photo I took for Twin Falls High School's production of The Mummy's Claw. Seve and I saw it this last Friday and it was fantastic. It was a live radio show performance and James (their director) transformed the stage into an intimate blackbox theatre as though we were inside a radio station, complete with students performing with scripts into microphones and clopping shoes on tables to make the sound effects of footsteps, rotating stone slabs for the sound of the mummy's tomb opening, etc.

This weekend I also took Simon and Graham to Barnes & Noble to pick up some Halloween books. The second we were inside, I saw a local author sitting at a table, hosting a book signing. She was by herself, the table was small, and no one was in line yet. Seeing her made me think of my mother and the time she sat at a Barnes & Noble hosting a book signing, and how hard it was for her. Really good of course, but hard because it was awkward. Writing and authorship is reclusive by nature. It's an act you do alone, but if anyone's going to buy your opus you have to put yourself out there. I decided then and there that, whether it was the next Hunger Games or a book about potatoes, I'd buy this author's book.

Luckily it was right up my alley. A contemporary realistic YA novel about two black kids dealing with darned white kids in the south. That's putting it crudely, but it's really a great read. You can check it out here. Hush Puppy by Lisa T. Cresswell.

I was tempted to tell her that I'm an aspiring author too! and yadda yadda blah blah blah but until I actually have a book out there I'm not eager to really share that with anyone. No one cares if you're writing a book unless it's the sequel to something they've already read.