So, I’m not sure whether you realize this, but I - Jen - have been living in Columbia for the last year and some change working on my MA in Theatre.  And this semester, that work has included directing the bizarre little comedy The Book of Liz by David and Amy Sedaris (the self-dubbed "Talent Family").  It plays this weekend… and I just wanted to let you all know.  So there.  And hey - I even worked a Distracted Globe mention into the preview article!  So if you happen to be wandering around Columbia this weekend… drop on by!

I’ll say it - I don’t know much about this play.  Really - I just know the play synopsis and three of the four cast members.  And I know that it opens TONIGHT at the Warehouse Theatre.  And I know that we’re performing improv after the September 11 & 12 performances.  And I know I’ve been making lots of jokes about the word "moon" in the title.  I’m cheeky like that.  (see what I did there?)

But tonight I’m going to go see Catfish Moon at The Warehouse and remedy my entire lack of information.  It’s kind of a neat opportunity for a theatre person (and particularly, a theatre person who’s in grad school and reading damn near every book ever) to get to go see a play about which they know almost nothing.  I kinda dig it.  The last time I did this, I ended up seeing a show that combined (much to my aunts’ dismay) Hamlet and zombies and, oddly enough, an old friend of mine from my Journeyman days.  So here’s a question that I hope you’ll answer  in the comments - what was the last show that surprised you?  Maybe it was a show that you’d never seen before and ended up loving.  Maybe it was a show you’ve seen or read, but the performance showed you something new.  I dunno.  So tell me - I’m just plain dying to know!

My little brother is currently in his study abroad year at Cal Poly.  He’s studying architecture, little smarty.  At any rate, he’s been spending this year in Florence, Italy.  Yeah.  Life’s hard for little bro.  And he just got back from a week of traveling around to Malta and Venice.  On his birthday.  I know.  Weep for him.

Anyway, he posted this photo, and I thought it was well worth sharing.  Make sure to read all the way to the bottom:

Apparently, the Colonel thinks hunger is delicious.

Okay… you know how excited I’ve been for the last couple of weeks about the big mountain they built in the Warehouse, right?  Well, multiply that by about a gazillion, and you’ve got how excited I am about the inauguration today.  I really should be reading my homework… but instead I’m watching CNN live while they broadcast things like "it’s cold here" and "here’s a picture of the website you’re already watching."  Yeah… amazing.  And then I comment about it in my facebook status.  And ya know, I know that not everyone voted for Obama - some people are totally excited and some people aren’t.  That’s just the way it’s always going to be.  But my dad - who definitely didn’t vote for Obama - is making a point of saying, "well, he’s who we’ve got, so I’m going to give him a chance."  We all want what’s best, right?  So let’s join together, mainline online and traditional inauguration coverage, be grateful that we haven’t been standing on the Washington Mall since 4:00am in 17 degree weather… and just agree to do everything we can to make the next four years the best they can be!  That’s all we can ask of anyone, isn’t it?

Oooh… that was kinda preachy, wasn’t it?  Well… you know what else?

Quincy Jones suggested the Obama should appoint a secretary of the arts.  BRILLIANT!  Want to sign a petition?  Ah yeah!

Hmm… what else can I be preachy about?

24 hour news networks have to be the most unnecessary thing ever in the history of the world.  "In the next hour… we’ll report on exactly what we reported on in the last hour… because nothing new has happened, but they’re still paying us."  "Tomorrow, we’ll make up a fake controversy just to see how many people we can get fired up for no good reason."  Ah… 

Okay… those are my soapboxes for today.  Whatever your thoughts, enjoy this chilly Tuesday, firm in the knowledge that THERE’S A NEW LOST TOMORROW!!!!

This post brought to you by Jen’s stream of consciousness.

See you this weekend for our 99th and 100th shows!  (Prize for the 99th and 100th guests on the respective night!)

Okay… tomorrow night is opening night of The Warehouse Theatre’s K2… and while I’ve only seen photos, not rehearsals… I can’t even tell you how excited I am about this show!  I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I just can’t stop being impressed by the fact that they built a friggin’ mountain!  And it’s just Dan Murray and Paul Savas all mind-gamey and dramatic and stuff.  Seriously… you can NOT miss this show!  The weather even finally got cold for the show’s opening… the WEATHER is in the K2 spirit!  I’ll be there next weekend… because I’m awesome like that.  But there are three whole weekends during which you have the chance to see mountain climbing drama right here in Greenville… you don’t even have to go to the Himalayas!  And I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure this is as close as I’m ever going to get to climbing K2… so this is kind of a big deal.  I might even wear my harness and climbing shoes!  (That’s right… I own a harness and climbing shoes.  I’m from Alaska, Colorado and Oregon… they’re standard issue out there.)

Well, this year my parents are going to Italy for Christmas, so I am on my own… which means, for only the second time in my increasingly less short life, I bought my own tree!  And I wanted to share it with you globesters out there… because I’m kinda proud of my little tree.

So far, my cat has pretty much left it alone, but I sort of have this feeling that she’s lulling me into a false sense of security, so in the middle of the night, I’ll hear the sound of it crashing to the floor amidst the sound of meows that sound oddly like a cackle.  But for now, all seems to be Christmas-y and copacetic.

So there ya go… if you come a-wassailing down my street in Columbia… it’s one of the only trees you’ll see in any of the windows… and it’s awesome!

But I’m even more excited about coming up to Greenville the weekend of the 19th to do a little Politically Correct, Non-Denominational, Winter Holiday improv!  See you all there!

Now, I realize that some of you probably discovered this long before I did… and I don’t care.

Because now that I have discovered it… I’m dropping out of my masters program, and I’m going to get a PhD in Horribleness.

As if I didn’t already want to stalk Neil Patrick Harris… then he has to go do something with Joss Whedon… and completely blow my mind!

If you haven’t seen Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog… GO WATCH IT NOW.  

If you have seen Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog… GO WATCH IT AGAIN!

There… that’s your peek into Jen’s mind for the day.  Scary, isn’t it?

This week, as we all know, is Thanksgiving. Hooray! And you know what that means!

Good food, and weird family traditions. For us, we tend to watch incredibly non-season-appropriate movies. Once, my mom and I went to see Interview with a Vampire on Christmas Day. A couple years ago, we rented this little gem (which was AWESOME, by the way):

And I would like to go ahead and make a suggestion for your inappropriate holiday movie needs. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra!

Seriously… if I could spend the weekend watching those two movies and maybe Snakes on a Plane tossed in for good measure… it might be the best holiday ever.

So I hope you enjoy my little family ritual. And if you feel in the spirit, please share your crazy family holiday traditions in the comments! It always makes me feel better to know that other people are crazy too!

Well, gang, the election is almost upon us!  Of course, McCain made his stop on SNL this weekend - quite amusing.

And now, since I’ve been so cagey about it, I wanted to give my official Jennifer Goff endorsement:

So that’s who gets my powerful endorsement.  But whether you’re voting for That One or The Other One… GO OUT THERE AND VOTE ON TUESDAY!  It only happens once every four years… DO IT!  Get your nifty "I voted" sticker!  It’s the hottest accessory this season!