A few steps closer to Spamalot... I mean, Alaska!

Yes, O Queen of Geeks, I am finally listening to Spamalot. And it's cracking me up. I'm going to have to learn a couple of these songs for the next time I audition for something!

We've moved one or two baby steps closer to Alaska. I was offered a rather low salary, but I took it on the promise of a raise around December. At least it gets us up there.

Also, today was my last day at my current job. I didn't say the "G" word, but promised W. I'd keep in touch. That should be pretty easy for most of us because my email will be the same, this blog will be in this same spot, and we are very likely to have the same phone numbers as we do now, since Cingular bought out the Alaska cell phone system.

So I now have time to devote completely to the yard sale happening this weekend. There's a small possibility we may move it to the next weekend, but I really think this weekend is best, since we have to move everything else out the week after that.

I seem to have run out of witticisms today. I spent a lot of time stuck in the gridlock of Cameron Park and Shingle Springs. (A CHP was struck when he was putting out the spikes to stop a guy fleeing arrest. My heart and sympathy goes out the cop's family) My car nearly overheated because it was mostly standstill and it was really hot this afternoon. When I went to visit my parents, normally a five minute drive, I had to go the Wine Country Scenic Route. I took Salmon Falls out to Coloma and through Placerville to get to Shingle Springs from the other direction. Wow, that's a long loop!

Anyway, I'm exhausted and my clothes are still sticking to my body. So I'll try for more Whitty humor later.

Send in the storms

I was just looking at the weather in Wasilla, noticing that it's raining most of the week with temps in the high 60s and low 70s.

Then I remembered how the Northern California weather people are always talking about storms coming down from Alaska.

So I had this cute little scenario run through my head:

Me picking up the phone and dialing my mother's number.

"Hello, Mom? Yeah, it's your daughter. I'm sending you a gift wrapped storm straight from Alaska for your garden!"

And now for something completely different...

I know this is totally off the Alaska subject, but I felt the deep, dividing need to blog today. So I'll share this totally off the subject random stream of consciousness because I'm totally off my nut (cashews, please.)

If you could meet one celebrity face to face, who would it be? What would you say? What would you do?

I never really contemplated this until the last few years, though I've had my favorites. I've always wanted to sing a duet with Billy Joel. I had the biggest crush on Keanu Reeves in high school. In junior high it was Fred Savage from the Wonder Years. (He's still as cute as a penguin's ear.)

But I never really considered the reality of meeting a celebrity in some totally normal every day place and having a totally normal conversation with them like we could be really good friends.

So I can hear you saying wow, I wonder which celebrity has got her thinking about normal, boring, sitting-round-the-cafe-table-like-they-do-in-France conversational things? Don't people usually just lust for the ultimate unattainable one-night-stand with their current flash in-the-pan fantasy?

And when will she stop hyphenating and get to the point!

Anyone want to guess who it is? Anyone? Anyone?

Melly bean, stop waving your arms in the air and jumping up and down like you have to go to the toilet. You'll give yourself a black eye.

Okay, here it is:

Nathan Fillion.

I'm sure plenty of people would be saying WTF? Who's that?

Hello. Firefly freak. Serenity psycho here!

For some reason, I have this raging urge to meet this guy. Not just because he looks great in his Captain Tightpants.

When I see the outtakes on Firefly and Serenity, I see what a funny, friendly guy he is. The kind of guy you'd have three pages of inside jokes with. The kind of guy who'd make Dr. Pepper shoot out your nose and ears like a fondue fountain. Makes my brain fizzle just to think about it.

Also, I recognize how human he is. You can tell he's a total attention hog because whenever he's on camera, he grabs center stage for himself. And stage left. And stage right. And upstage and downstage. Heck, he's got the whole backstage and greenroom right along for the ride as well.

But at least he makes it well worth our time to put up with a bit of performance ego.

I've got problems whenever I envision meeting him though. I read other people's blogs who talk about going to the conventions and meeting him, playing the Serenity RPGs with him, getting autographs and pictures with him.

But I don't want any of that stuff, really (well, except playing RPGs with him.)

However, whenever I try to picture what I would say to him or how I would behave, everything comes off as being psycho-stalker-one-woman-obsession-club. How could someone like me ever be interesting to someone who has more than 30,000 friends on his myspace page? I've never even attempted to try to be one of his myspace friends because he doesn't need one more drooling female begging for a few words and a scattering of largess. What could I possibly say or do that would make me stand out as someone Nathan Fillion, aka Malcolm Reynolds, aka Captain Tightpants would be interested in getting to know more about?

It sounds weird, I know. but I would just like to be his friend. Truly.

Goddess help me. This entire blog entry sounds psycho-stalker-one-woman-obsession-club to me. I'm totally hopeless.

Oh, well. Gods all bless, cast and crew of Firefly. And all the people out there who get as much of a kick out of them as I do.

The Afterthought Burn

Yeah, you can tell I'm bored because I'm already posting again.

I forgot to mention that my sweet older brother gave me a web cam a day or two ago! Logan had promised we would get one so that people can still see me even all the way in Alaska. Well, Roy had one that came with his laptop and he'd never used it, so he gave it to me! Woohoo! I can't wait to play with it. I hope it works with our laptop.

Also, I think I may get a new weather button. This one doesn't seem to be changing! I'm avoiding the possibility that Wasilla weather is always like that, so don't burst my bubble!

Okay. I'm going away to figure out the Firefly Theme on my guitar now. Melly Bean promised me that I could play it on the last night of our show and I still don't know the chords! Arrgh!

A drop of refreshing rain...

Yeah, it actually sprinkled on my car today. Amazing.

Well, we've gotten a couple more drops of information about our grand and glorious move. Logan got a salary offer yesterday. He wasn't totally happy with it and will be renegotiating, I'm sure, but he's definitely going to be Floor Manager in Wasilla.

Supposedly I'm going to hear something today myself, but so far nothing, zero, zip, zilch. But I'm definitely ready to negotiate my salary offer when I get it. After all, I've been told having a Masters Degree in anything is worth bragging about.

And even more confidence inspiring is the fact that I will always have the transcription job to fall back on, even up there in Alaska. Thank you, W.

Anyway, now it looks like official "Moving to Alaska" day will be October 1st. We'll be conducting interviews by our first weekend there. Wow -- Me interviewing people. That boggles my mind, it does.

So I'll still be here for a particular 30th birthday bash at the end of September! Wink, wink, nudge, nudge!

Boy, I need to get new comedy writers. I think my blog is starting to repeat itself! (Or maybe it's an alcoholic blog.)

Searching other blogs and new cars...

When I'm taking short breaks from my work, I like to search and discover other blogs written by people who live in or visit Alaska. This one cracked me up. I hope the link works.

http://realtravel.com/anchorage-journals-j4341504.html

His description of regular Americans versus Alaskan Americans makes me think Logan and I will be right at home.

Also, his description of different animal poo is quite informative, not to mention high-larious.

And as usual, I haven't got anything new to tell you about as far as moving. I did have some fun comparing general costs of living for Placerville, CA and Wasilla, AK. Alaska was actually cheaper in most areas (though not by much) and had less crime. (Is that what happens when everyone is packing? You never know when the person you rob is going to have a bigger gun than you!)

What really tickled me was when I checked out the prices for two bed, one bath homes. Not only were the homes in Placerville a bit shabbier, but they were at least $100,000 more than the same size homes in Wasilla. And the homes in Wasilla were nicer looking. That's a very weak way of putting it, too.

Now Logan and I are sunk in the debate of what kind of vehicle do we want after we move up there? Do we want to sell the Yaris, even though it would mean losing all the money we put into it? Do we want to get an older used truck or by a new SUV? Do we want two vehicles or just make do with one, since we'll be working at the same place and it will be pretty close to home?

We're looking at the Toyota FJ Cruiser for a four wheel drive new SUV choice. It looks goofy, but it is supposedly one of the best new off-roading SUVs on the market right now. We watched videos of people taking them rock crawling and stuff.

Too many choices, too many decisions, not enough direct and specific knowledge to do anything!

All we know is that we're moving out of our apartment August 15th and in with my parents for the last couple of months before we actually move to Alaska. Since I'll be training in Reno for a big part of that time, there seemed to be little point to shelling out nearly $2,000 for one person to live in a two bed, two bath apartment for two months.

And we're holding our yard sale first weekend in August, which I've already mentioned several times.

I guess I should stop all this playing around and get back to work. I have a show tonight.

Wowza, last night's audience was crazy! They were having a blast and the actors were eating it up. A couple of characters were doing things they've never done before, such as chasing each other across the stage when they weren't even supposed to be onstage in the first place, and I turned to Melly Bean and said, "This show is officially out of control."

If people were that nuts last night, I can't wait to see what antics occur on closing night!

New Weather Button!

I added a tiny weather button to this blog so I have a daily reminder of what the weather is like in Wasilla!

Also so my friends and family can poke fun at me about how long the sun is out right now and how often it rains.

Why is it the first thing people say when I tell them where we're moving is, "It's cold up there"?

Don't you think I know that by now?!?!