J's 2006 World

Well well well well well... here we go again....new year, new bat time....
Ahead are some 2006 highlights of Jolene's World, circa 2006, (READ: highlights because I had access to a camera) Enjoy!

One of my boyfriends won best actor for his portrayal of the great Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, I am proud.


I purchased a scanner early in the year, all so I could scan stupid photos like this pic of me and my first husband, Big Bear. The critters are our children. I'm not sure where they are today, but I reckon they are doing well for themselves.


I took a silly freelance gig, but I got my brother featured in my story! yay!


Got a Kickin' role as Karen in David Mamet's Speed the Plow, a role Madonna first played on broadway... pssst told I was better than Madge!


My body looks huge, but look at cute Adam being so serious behind me!! Tee-hee!


Hello Karen has Cleavage!


Then I met a boy...he sells T-shirts on the internet.


Took a dramatic pause in my dressing room at the cast party.


Adam behaved a little more dramatically in the theatre's ghetto kitchen.


Made a great friend in Mark, the show's most important crew member...here we celebrate at the Chicago Pride Parade, just after the show's final matinee


A moment of happiness from that crazy parade.


I love this outfit!!!! Pink is always the new pink!


In the Summer of '06 I loved hanging on my 'patio.'


My darlings, E and Kim came for a very quick visit...too quick! But enjoyable none the less!


A randomly funny photo that remians to be an inside joke!


In 2006 I adored the DVD the Mirrormask!


Oh that boy again! Our first awkward pic together.


ROAR...according to the Chinese I was born in the year of the Tiger! So fitting!


Enjoying the summer!


Oooooh the EP Suites welcoming Goat...


And on the South side one of EP's Giraffe's


Cute. I found out I'm dating a dumpster diver. UH, actually... this is for real!!!!!


But yet he makes me the most interesting dinners!


Ooooh a beatiful friend gets married!


Her wedding ceremony at Theatre in the Round In Minneapolis!


While home I shot this pic of my baby sister.


I also celebtared the 4th of July by the Mississippi river in downtown St. Paul.


Then I squeezed my parents goodbye at the airport.


Summer in Chicago is soooo nice!!!!! I miss it!


Too much fun, scamming my way into Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Chicago.


Seeing The Flaming Lips! Yes!!!!!!


Frankie and I having fun at the festival.


Getting too addicted to a television show.


My boyfriend, Sawyer.


And yet another addicting show...


My boyfriend from this show...yum!


While home in the Fall of '06 I got to visit with my good friend Cate and her cute hubby, Tyler.


Ooooh it's Halloween time! These pumpkins have since been eaten by rats. :(


For Halloween we dressed as Donnie and Marie Osmond.


Seeeeeeeeeeee! We almost look just like them!


A good Chi-town friend...and the kicker? She grew up minutes from me in Roseville, Minnesota!


An unseasonablely warm day in the winter of '06.


And this is my weird boyfriend... after Halloween he got a discount on Pirate make-up and couldn't let it go to waste... this was a random night in November.

HAPPY 2007!
Kiss Kiss

Best YouTubin Ever!

My stomach hurts soooo hard from laughing when I watch this...I love it.



for fun...just to make the internet explode a little more...a little search word-fun!

Tom Cruise; Katie Holmes; Tom Kat; Baby Suri; Tomkat Wedding; Posh Spice; Post-natal Brooke; Alien Baby; Fake Preggers Katie; Wedding Guest List; David "Superhot" Beckman; Complete and total bullshit; Scientology; Brooke "the aliens will kill me if I don't comply" Shields; Smidget Homosexual; Poor Katie; Save Katie; Oprah Scorned; Psychos; Will "I listen to my woman" Smith & Jada "Oh hells yes he does" Pinket Smith; Borat; Iraq; dead people; Michael Richards shows his true colors; Seinfeld saves Richard's ass by peddling cheap shit on Letterman show; and on and on and on....AND do-to-to-to, drum roll please?

Welcome to Jolene's World! It's so much better here!

I Wish I had Five Arms

Wait, having five arms would be sort of creepy...

I miss my blog... I have been super busy....and with that, like my dear friend Kim wrote in her blog justacitygirl.blogspot.com, I give you a quick run down of the happenings of Jolene’s World....

-Working lots at the magazine, currently I have six stories due on Wednesday, not one is complete. It’s overwhelming and fun!

-Frank and I barely talk anymore as we are way too consumed with the second season of Lost on DVD...best show ever!

-I ate dinner at Usagi Ya in Wicker Park with my friend Mandy. I had a Spicy Tuna Roll minus the magsomo-egg stuff, and a shitake mushroom roll-minus the spinach cuz I don’t want to die. I drank Green Tea. It was the best sushi I have ever had.

-This morning I had much needed closure on an irking issue. I feel great!

-I am in the midst of designing Frank's Halloween Costume, we are going to be Donny and Marie circa 1977.. Marie's costume is already complete. We are hoping to win mega moula at a local contest...

-I am seriously missing my friend E who I haven’t seen in way too long

-I barely leave my desk at work and I am happy.

-I have auditioned lots, and been rejected lots…I keep auditioning.

-Miss. Honey has been a snuggle bug as usual! I would still like to eat her.

-I saw my cute Grandma celebrate 89 years of life. Wanted to give her Honey as a present.

-Went to the Paper House warehouse sale, pure madness. The things people will do for paper.

-Getting very irritated with the continuous rain. The city is windy and cold.

-Painted, rather than carved a pumpkin... it joins another painted pumpkin..the two pumpkins have been christened, Donny and Marie.

-Been scraping my purse for change to get home on the el.

-Met Mark for our weekly cheap eats and chatting at Redfish . He gave me a Hello Kitty suitcase with bubblegum.

-Went to a real doctor because now I have insurance! Learned I gained 10 pounds in the past 6 months….people say it’s because I am in love (insert finger in throat). In reality it’s because I have an addiction to late-night feedings of M&M’s, alcohol and bread.

-Acted in a reading of some fun women-written plays

-Received a fun, new plush couch...for FREE!

-Watched the Chicago Marathon Runners, first hour looked diligently for my friend Amy running in the crowd, second hour diligently looked for a break in the ground to get my bum over to Ann Sather’s Cafe across the street.

-Been procrastinating with the best of ‘em.

-Still screaming like a wild banshee to get out the door on time in the morning

-Heard a great line I want to include in my next play: “The reason you put me through school to get my master’s in (to protect the source-insert your own fancy subject) is so I could have interesting conversations at dinner parties.“

-Frank just made me giggle with a card that says “You’re Invited (on the front and on the inside)…Popcorn and Lost. Please RSVP” And with that...disc 5 begins!

What's New in Jolene's World

Does anyone know????

Maybe sneaky Mean Jo Green knows... oooh she's too busy posing in the CUTEST picture ever! It's Jo and Granpa Lee....ooooo for Cute!

I Miss My Girlfriends!

Women are so motivated! We move forward and follow our dreams and this often leaves close girlfriends geographically far apart....while we remember one another we now make new friendships, new dramas, new boyfriends (or in some cases, gulp! husbands!) and we create new experience too hard to explain to one another. But alas we are fabulous and know we MUST do these things to be the best we can be....and while I am happy for my girlfriend, I still have to say: DAMN I miss my girlfriends!These women are too fabulous to replace! Just take a look!


In the middle, beautiful Kim, following her dreams, getting cultured, and living the life she should be living in Minneapolis, the BEST city in the world! Miss. Kim is smart, funny, patient and full of complete glamour and style...this girl superbly managed a fab Irish pub in the city, but knew when to leave to get more of what she deserves! And on the right, gorgeous E, studying Chinese Studies as her Masters in London! The sweetest, most kind and calming woman I know. Educated, smart and most importantly a truly strong spirit, inspiring to me and probably most everyone she meets!


Ooooh wedding bliss! The bride is beautiful Meagan, the happiest woman I have ever encountered! Can’t you tell from her smile?! Meagan, newly married is following her dreams of acting in Hollywood! Now living in L.A. with her sweet hubby, Rick, Meagan is a treasured friend to have! And on the left is the FAB Maid of Honor and my dear friend Kristin. A wonderfully emotional being, Kristin points out the cynicism while always coming off endearingly loving. The most loyal woman, she will fight for you to the end. Darling Kristin is living in St. Paul, Minn., running a Twin Cities theatre company, acting, and taking care of a new feline friend, as well as a crazy, yet sweet boyfriend!


Cater-TOT! This pic was probably taken at a bar-stop after a showing of an amazing play about vampires. Cate is happily married, cheery and lovingly raising her two pups! No other girl deserves to have two devoted pups, as Miss. Cate is too good a girl to not make them feel special. Cate and I don’t talk as often as we used to, but that doesn’t mean she is not still in my thoughts. This girl has a way to make you spew coke through your nose and feel a warm fuzzy in your heart, all at the same time!


Oh Miss Alyssa, Oh um, I mean Carrie! Tee-hee...C challenges me so....I could talk for hours about the craziest stuff with this lady. Miss. C, aka Alyssa, is working in downtown Minneapolis for a top ad agency and dedicating her time to those she loves. Alyssa is brave, independent, inspiring and so hip!!!! Oh yes and fiercely kind, no other woman understood me more when it came to....


Princess Xena, on the left. I will NEVER forget you, neither will Miss. Honey (on the right.) Xena trusted me with her life. She was a timid one when she came to become my girl, but we soon became attached. She licked my armpits, snuggled on my lap, told me, in her special way, 'thank you.' Wherever you are Xena, I miss you, we miss you, we love and I am forever sorry.

Reason #234...

...to have a boyfriend... he will carry your luggage up three flights of stairs after picking you up from the airport.

You Gott Love Marketing

While their message is brilliant, and not one I'll argue with, they did make a key editorial error, along with some poor choices in wording. Can you find the errors? Cadbury is a major player in the chocolate industry and yet they don't seem to have the money for a proper writer or editor. Too bad, so sad, because like I say the message rocks!

Happy, Happy, Gay, Gay

June 25th marked Pride Day across the nation, as well as Chicago's 37th Annual Pride Parade. The EP Suites is literally sandwiched between the two major roads of the parade route, Halsted and Broadway...so what's the manager of the EP Suites to do? Wake up, swig some coffee, wait patiently for the parade, boogie when the floats come along and snap some candids with a borrowed camera!

Ahead are some sights of the 37th Annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade; Grand Marshal George Takei, uh that's Mr. Sulu of Star Trek.

Waiting on Broadway for the parade to make it's turn down Waveland from Halsted


Thinking about a coffee refill? Alas, so much to deal with to get there...


Just moments prior to the start of the parade, this gay dog dons a "pearl necklace" which he received in a port-a-potty from a Pug name Lou.


Pretty Ladies...


Frankie Goes to "Homo"wood..yeah that sounds silly...


Ay wish I could quit you!


Bada bada bada bada BING!


Oh Hi there, whoops...scaaaary


Don't ask, Don't tell


Feathery


Oooh old people get it too!


Uh, Miss. N.A.T.C., I think it's time to take the driver's seat.


Toga, Toga


Knowing how to make an exist.


After the parade, rumination begins at the 7-11


Alas retreat to an area bar.



Photos by Jolene

Chi-Town in the Summer-Time

Aaaaah! Chicago in the summer...is there anything better? Well, yes, I suppose an exotic trip on a private yacht with servants and daily pedicures and cocktails is a bit better...or maybe an end to world hunger? Or how about world peace? Yes well, when you're a starving "artist" and you have just enough money to buy the latest fashion ensemble and forgo rent, then enjoying the two months of heavenly hottest in the city is pure bliss. So why not soak up the sights and sounds of a city summer? And such sights and sounds of my hood include…



- Star-crossed lovers of the same sex looking for some late night sweaty dancing.
- Puppies roaming the city sidewalks, smelling the flowers and one's another's bums.
- Sidewalk cafes, complete with bubble teas, sushi and bus exhaust fumes.
- The feel of the wind whipping through your hair as you walk for your morning latte.
- Frusturated drivers searching for parking, hours on end.
- Parties at every corner bar. Nearly naked men dancing, while others look on sipping on vodka sodas.
- Girlfriends rollerblading down Hawthorne, racing to sunbathe at the lake.
- Kids playing in the area play lot, overlooked by a very large giraffe
- A French market selling flowers, pastries and fresh fruit.
- Summer gatherings of friends on apartment balconies and stoops, laughing, drinking Bud light.


Manager of the EP SUITES pictured above on the sidewalk of the EP ESTATES

So to my friends and family, I encourage you to give Chi-town in the summertime a try.... The EP Suites, if you can believe this, has availabilities for upcoming summer weekends! Oh and if you get in prior to July 2nd, you get a free showing of Speed the Plow! Now that is a treat!

Speed-the-Plow

The Friend Vs. The Hottie?

This looks COOL!


Speed-the-Plow
by David Mamet
The Side Studio
1520 W. Jarvis Ave.

The friend vs. the hottie
It's an age-old battle of loyalty: Your buddy helps you empty the keg and nurse the hangover ... but that beautiful specimen from last night keeps two-stepping into your thoughts.

Enter playwright David Mamet. His take on the sitch comes in the form of "Speed-the-Plow," a dark comedy about a manipulative Hollywood film producer who grapples between backing a friend's surefire hit or a beautiful girl's indie project. Let the internal debate begin.

Please note:
Additional "industry" performance at 8 p.m. June 28. Bring a headshot and/or resume for $10 tickets.

Opens June 1.

Previews:
May. 24: 8 p.m.
May. 25: 8 p.m.
May. 26: 8 p.m.
May. 27: 8 p.m.


Through Jul. 1

Sundays : 4 p.m.
Thursdays : 8 p.m.
Fridays : 8 p.m.
Saturdays : 8 p.m.

Price: $12-$16
Box office: 773-419-5001
Produced by: Theatre O Th Absurd

silly girl

Jolene, Puppies and Kitties...not to forget rabbits and hamsters oh my!

Oy Vey! I haven’t been in a writing mood in sometime, and I'm still not, but you see I've got this blog... so I'd better say something, right, at least until I feel chippier and start writing again! So I'll just list off some updates of my life... which, I’ll tell you really don’t amount to much cuz, this play has been kicking my arse!

Afterwards I am posting an important email that I received from the Animal Protection Institute (API) about our furry friends, so please continue to read on. Do your part, if you can.

Muaw!

Highlights of Nothing Really

— Honey has been snuggly, but sick. She is on antibiotics.
— I had a birthday, 32, I am sad cuz I can no longer say "I'm Thirty-Wonderful!" Now I'm thinking Thirty-Two much?" yeah that just doesn’t seem to work....
— Found out my cute Mom has Diabetes. Bought her a health book she’d best be reading.
— I’m loving my new favorite band, The Raconteurs. I have a brilliant sneak peek into their first album. Jack White is still so much my boyfriend.
— I have been rehearsing my ass off for the role of Karen, and getting super psyched for this show!
— Found out an ex-BF died of a heart attack at the age of 36, later found out it was actually, probably a coke OD.
— Was made fun of cuz I never knew he was a cokehead.
— Planning a trip back to the Twin Cities for a lovely wedding at a theatre!
— I recently watched three movies in a row, Woody Allen’s Match Point, Steve Martin’s Shopgirl and Honey, with Jessica Alba. I was entertained the most with the movie Honey. What does that say about me?
— Lost a close friend to his insecurity.
— Bought a cute polka dot halter that I love very much
— Posed for new headshots that I am psyched to see!
— I am working at the pub still serving up fish and beer!
— Completed my first issue as the home and décor editor of Mia. LOTS of work, but I learned all about this fabulous new company, Earth Friendly Products, Eco-friendly household cleaners with nummy smells. Got free samples that I’m looking forward to use, cuz I do love to clean!
— Have contemplated hooking up the gas in my stove so I can make hard-boiled eggs sandwiches again.
— Getting the most out of my beloved classes at IO. These people are the BEST! The coolest improv school in the Windy City.
— Still having a heart devoted to the beloved four-legged creatures of this world. And with that, please read on…



API LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST U.S. COSMETICS TESTING ON ANIMALS

The Animal Protection Institute (API) today announces the launch of its
new consumer-driven campaign to combat the misleading animal testing
labeling practices by the cosmetics industry. Your help is needed to
bring an end to animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!

Many people are unaware that each year, across the United States,
untold numbers of animals are subjected to painful procedures in the name of
beauty. Recognizing that consumers wish to avoid animal testing when
shopping for cosmetics, many companies label their products as “not
tested on animals” but, sadly, those claims can be misleading. “Not tested
on animals” may only refer to the final product, not its ingredients, or
the company itself may not test their products on animals, but may pay
someone else to do it.

API is leading a national initiative to educate consumers and animal
advocates nationwide to bring to light misleading labeling by cosmetics
companies and empower the public to make ethical choices when shopping,
by supporting only those companies that are signed up to the Leaping
Bunny program — the only internationally recognized standard that
guarantees that products are free from animal testing.

API’s campaign includes the launch of a cosmetics dedicated website —
www.CompassionateConsumer.com. Packed with educational materials,
resources, and shopping tools, the website will empower concerned consumers
like you to make ethical choices when shopping.

The campaign will include extensive outreach to ensure that the message
of compassionate consumerism is spread nationwide as well as focused
campaign efforts to encourage more companies to commit to ending animal
testing once and for all. Encouraging compassionate consumers to use
their dollars to end animal cruelty, API has produced a campaign kit which
includes an informative brochure, guide to decoding cosmetics labels,
postcards for company outreach and a guide to companies that have shown
their true commitment to ending animal testing as part of the Leaping
Bunny Program — the only internationally recognized standard that
guarantees a product is free of animal testing.

How You Can Help

The animals that currently suffer in laboratories for cosmetic
ingredient and formulation testing need your help! Sign up to become a member
of API’s Cosmetics Network and order your Cosmetics Campaign Kit today!
For more information please visit www.CompassionateConsumer.com or call
1-800-348-7387 x213.

Together we can change the way the cosmetics industry does business!

Third Verse, Same as The Firs-VIOLENT FEMMES---and answers to the quotes

(Answers for the movie quote at end of this post.)


Oy Vey! As some of you may have seen in my last post (and can still see below) there is a silly photo of me as a child, which has ignited old memories…here I share with you some of those silly memories, starting with one of my very favorite memories taking place on a day way back when in the hot Missouri sun….

LAUGHING AND CRYING
As I said it was a hot and sunny day in Missouri, I was probably five or six. My brother and I were “helping” my Gramps garden. Basically that entailed me getting wheel barrel rides while my brother hunted for snakes. Being from Minnesota, seeing a snake was rare, so whenever we visited Granny & Gramps in little Monett, Missouri, my brother went hunting for snakes—after all his dream was to be a snake-catcher. My brother talked non-stop about snakes, he was at the irritating age of eight, or nine. Gramps said he thought there was a snake under a pile of logs, and my brother should catch it and kill it as the snakes hurt his garden. I think my brother rejected the idea of killing the animal.

It was time to go get another batch of, um soil? So I hopped in the barrel and Gramps began to push to the “soil.” We approached a tree and there, right next to the trunk, lie a small garter snake, which I very clearly remember. It was about a foot long, small, orange with black stripes (Yes I have been told that is not the description of a garter snake, but whatever, that is what I saw.) In pure delight, joy, glee and fear of seeing something I had never seen before I screamed, “Snake!” Now what happens next still makes me laugh and, yet cry all at the same time. In absolute consecutive motions my brother came running , gramps lifted his hoe, my brother looked in awe, Gramps chopped the snake in two.

Or did he use his foot? Hmmm I’ll have to ask my bro about that one….anyway it was very tragic, and poetic. Part of me, most of me, felt sad for the snake, and mostly sad my brother. He was devastated. And of course part of me felt devilish happy, a little bit of me was laughing at my brother’s misfortunate. Hey I was a bratty little sister, what can I say? Well really though God Bless my Gramps, I mean he did say these snakes were hurting his gardens….plus the striped snake may have just been very poisonous. Gramps probably saved our lives.

FLOATING COWS
Lately I have been listening to old country music, which my parents used to play, well my Mom played. In reminiscing various songs, not all country, I found my old favorite song–and what a WEIRD song to be the favorite of a five-year-old child. It was Debby Boone’s You Light Up My Life. Have you heard this? It is actually quite morbid and sad sounding. I remember I had it on 45. The label was emblazoned with that cow logo that looked like it was floating in circular motions when you played it on your turntable. Well I played this song over and over, I even drew red stars on the label, that faded to pink, all to remind myself that this song was my very favorite. One day I was having a screaming tantrum, terribly upset about something, but I think I had done something bad and just gotten busted, because I remember running away from my Mom to hide, but all the while wailing. I raced into my room and slid behind my bed, right where I kept my 45’s and yup, my knee slammed right on top of the floating cows and faded red stars, snapping in half Debby’s beautiful, but haunting musical story… I was stunned. I remember instantly feeling karma for the first time ever, and as I slightly recall I think my Mom even pointed that out. I remember just feeling really sad and showing her, looking for instant sympathy and I think she might of said “well if you hadn’t tried to run and hide, that wouldn’t have happened….”
So true, so true.

NOW, I'M JUST A CUTE AND CREEEPY OLD LADY
So today I headed out of the EP Suites and was delighted to see my block decorated with red valentine helium-filled balloons and glitter hearts, even the giraffes and goats were merrily decorated, waiting for some statue love. I needed some fresh air so I walked down to the lake, after sufficiently bundling up. Once at the harbor I started watching the seagulls, or are they pigeons? You know those big, dirty rat-like white birds? Yeah well at one point I had thrown a stick out to see how frozen the water was and had noticed that the birds all flocked to the stick. Oh they thought it was bread. Okay so the next part of my story is proof that I am old, sad and creepy.

Feeling crappy for accidentally tricking these flying white rat things, I left the park and, gulp, went to the gas station where I purchased a loaf of rye cocktail bread, for three dollars no less! I wanted to make it up to the birds and give them a little bread… Well before I returned to the birds I walked over to the other part of the harbor that leads out to the main part of the lake. On my way back I notice some geese. Now why I decide to give these geese bread is beyond me, as I hate geese, they're vicious little psychotic nasty ostrich-like things…. But feeling bad that they are obviously looking for food I throw a little bread their way… MISTAKE. Within seconds the geese charge me. CHARGE. I felt like I was in Jurassic Park, except that I was really cold, on the edge of Illinois and exaggerating a little bit, but still I was freaked and I started running. Soon I ditched the nasty over sized birds and found the rat birds again. I merrily tossed the rest of my loaf to them and some passing ducks while I realized two things, A: I think this is illegal and B: I’m a loser.

THE ALL-NEW MATCH ‘EM EGGS!
Back to my being a weird child, I recall having quite the imagination, aside from believing that John Snyder, AKA Bo Duke, would jump out of my television and kiss me, I invented all sorts of shops, companies and festival games.
Such entities included the following:

---A dress shop, where I placed all my dresses up in the dining room and “sold them.” My imaginary shoppers LOVED my merchandise!

---A “business,” or company that I so uniquely named, “International Incorporated.” I was the owner of this company, but, and this still makes me cringe, I did not make myself the president, but rather the secretary to my imaginary male president. Ugh! What I was thinking? Who knows…

--And then, thankfully, from a more intelligent side of my brain I invented a carnival game where a player would pay 10 cents for the chance to win a nickel. This game was called the “All-New Match ‘Em Eggs.” The first “Match ‘Em Eggs” game was in my imagination. The game, I think was derived from my being “sent to my room,” for some creepy thing I did…. Since I couldn’t leave my room I would think of creative ways to get attention while abiding by the rules of staying put in my room. So I had a piece of cardboard that I decorated and placed outside my door. I stood behind the door, inside my room, and announced to passersby (Um yes that would be my Mom, brother and his friends) the “All New Match ‘Em Eggs” game was ready for players! The idea was, for 10 cents, you’d get the chance to choose a large plastic egg from a bag, open it, and, if the smaller egg inside matched the larger egg, then you’d be a lucky winner of a nickel!

My brother’s friends actually played this game.

So in keeping with my invention of games…. I present to you my latest “All New Movie Quotes” game, which is basically the same as the last two movie quote games.

Have Fun!

The “All New Movie Quotes” game, which is basically the same as the last two movie quote games. Simply read the quotes and tell me what movie it’s from, if you get all ten correct, you win a nickel! For funny stories, see after the game!


1. Ta ta ta ta ta day junior.
BILLY MADISON

2. Don’t touch that squirrel’s nuts.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

3. These matches are disappointing me.
200 CIGARRETTES

4. It’s for you Jim. It’s God.
THE DOORS

5. You didn’t screw up once!
AMERICAN BEAUTY

6. MANNIE!
RUN LOLA RUN

7. Juice by Sarah. Juice by Sarah.
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM

8. Oh he was, ah, a bit sunnier.
HIGH FIDELITY

9. No I’ll drink all the time.
MOULIN ROUGE

10. I don't want to convince my fiancée that she should be with me.
THE NOTEBOOK

The Cutest Little Creepy Girl in The World

Ooooh look at that CREEPY little girl! What a sinister little character, and sooooo scary! No no no funny, she is wearing a clown suit after all... haha she looks like she's getting ready to destroy the world and then retreat back to her 1970’s hideout! Tee-Hee.. oh I am being hard on her, I bet she is cool. I bet she grew up to be normal and love the color pink even though her Mom tried desperately to have her love the color green. I bet she DOES NOT dye her hair, after all, look what she was born with!

Okay yes that is me. But you already knew that…seriously I do look creepy though! Kind of scares me…It got me thinking about some stuff and then ultimately had me recall the nickname my mother and brother had for me, although my mom denies this… Mean Jo Green. It kind of fits considering the décor of my bedroom! But I can’t be too hard on my Mom, she did make those curtains, as well as that stunning clown costume! Love you Mom!

So my friend E tells me it’s time for another movie quote quiz. So get ready all, I’m in the works of putting together a new quiz and the winner will receive those curtains.

The BF is okay, and still severely gorgeous

Friends...family...do not worry my boyfriend is okay...he walked away from the crash just fine, you know why? Cuz he’s cool.

Oh yeah and severely gorgeous—just look at the photo of him, sent to me by my friend Eleise. She was hanging out smoking with him in London; She snapped this pic for me. For cute, right? Who saying smoking not cool? I love Cancer.

Dad, I'M KIDDING! Geez! It's called humor, really bad humor that I LOVE!!!!!!!!
By the way it is ironic that my baby is so conscious of what food he puts in his body, but still smokes…oh who cares…he looks hot.

By the way I am becoming quite obsessed with 80’s love ballads…Making Love out of Nothin’ at all…. Makin’ looooooove!!!!!! Out of nothin’ at all!!!!!

And let’s not forget this classic……Once upon a time I was fallin’ in love, but now I’m only falling apart, there’s nothing I can do…..a Total Eclipse of the Heart…..
Turn around bright eyes.....

Sarah Silverman is like INSANE Magic

Happy Monday, or not... I have been a little MIA as of late, posting quick pics of my boyfriend and then quickly running away to be with him, oh Jaoquin! He's so silly.... I mean right now he is asking me to get back to the couch to watch a movie, make-out and eat some cheese...oh he so respects the Taurus in me and I so respect the Vegan in him! I mean I only push Red Meat on him once a week rather than the twice a day thing I used to do....

OH! It's Oscar Season, so why not go check out a movie that is sooooo not Oscar-ish.... it's Sarah Silverman's Jesus is Magic... She is SO dirty! And SO funny and so super pretty, she looks just like my friend Katie! Lucky Katie!

Way to Go Baby!

Oooh look at my Baby! He won a Golden Globe!!!

As many of you know Joaquin and I are a HOT item...sadly I wasn't able to make it the awards ceremony...I was in Bali filming my latest flick.... But alas I did get a mani and a pedi and wore my fav. new vintage gown in the HOT HOT HOT sun just thinking about him and rootin' him on!

Personal note to my baby: When we are together again I will make you toast and give you a buzzard egg in honor of your award.

Good Fiction!

To answer Kim's question... that book is:

The Dogs of Babel, by Carolyn Parkhurst
I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Other great reads that have stuck with me...
Book of Ruth, by Jane Hamilton
The Big Love, by Sarah Dunn
Rocket City, by Cathryn Alpert
And, of course, The Lovely Bones, by Anne Sebolt

In regard to Frey and a Million LIttle Pieces...I literally finished this book the night before Smoking Gun's allegations went public...whatever the truth is, I don't care...I definitely got a lot out of that book. It made me in tune with myself and feel some deep emotions...as a writer/storyteller I can see where things may get embellished, I can somewhat forgive this...hopefully stuff was not completely made up, but we will just have to wait and see... in the meantime I am not going to discredit anything....no matter, I feel the book has had a positive impact on my own way of thinking....


Happy Reading!

Can I hug you?

Oh My...I just finished the book that everyone has been talking about, thanks to Oprah... A Million Little Pieces by James Frey...I remember seeing this book at the bookstore way back when...the pretty cover and candy-covered hand was certainly an attention getter...

Posted by Jolenetur

It looked interesting, but heavy....months later Oprah is going on about it and before you know it I am seeing it in the hands of almost every Reader on the El..... then I come home and my Mom has it...Oh Oprah! So I did what any daughter would do...I snapped it up from my Mom and started reading... my feelings towards Frey's story is indescribable.. I am heart-broken and yet lifted. Without the intention of sounding like Oprah, seriously if you have thought about reading this book, or need a new read, PLEASE do yourself a favor and pick up this book. I want to hug you all, I want to hug James… The other day while finishing up work at the restaurant I met this woman at the bar. She had said that all she did for the day was read, she had just finished this book. I told her I had a little left to go and was already floored by the book and for a brief moment we bonded. Then just as I left this now, not-as-strange, stranger said good-bye told me to go home and finish the book. Then she said but first, “Give me a Hug.”
I understand why….

Oh-Six!

Where is everyone going? Today I saw people leaving their apartments with suitcases. Is everyone already going on spring break, or is Chi-town not the place to be right now? Aaah but I am stuck here in the freezing tundra...however it did rain today, another sign of spring? I do hope!

Well another year has gone by and we are onto 06. At the stroke of midnight January 1, 2006 I was counting money. A good sign? Let’s hope, because just a few hours thereafter I got an unexpected visit from Aunt Flo. Whatever does that mean? Oh sorry, I think I just TMI-ed you all! Whatever! Happy New Year! But sadly I am not feeling strong about 06. I feel strong about 07, not 06; this worries me. I think it’s just that I don’t like the number 6 and I love the number 7. I do get the weirdest notions stuck in my head…which leads me to another anecdote…

What is my New Year's Resolution, you wonder? Okay I don’t really do these things, but after being asked the resolution question one too many times I decided I should indeed make a resolution. So I decided 2006 is the year that I no longer pick up pennies and will not feel guilty about not doing so. For what seems like forever I have picked up random pennies on the sidewalk, in restaurants, even, gulp, in public restrooms! I have held onto the idea that ignoring a penny is disrespecting the government, disrespecting financial responsibility and, even disrespecting God… I have often found myself stopping in the middle of busy intersections to snatch up a penny, sticking my fingers in the muck of a Boystown sidewalk for the brassy coin and balancing shopping bags, my phone and purse all so I can feel like a good person and get that penny!

But this habit of mine, or actually obsession is gross, and unhealthy, physically and mentally, I think…so there you have it I am no longer going to be grasping for that loose penny! Wow it feels good just thinking about it.

There is a place where time stands still...

"Raindrops hang motionless in air. Pendulums of clocks float mid-swing....As a traveler approaches this place from any direction, he moves more and more slowly..."



It is 1905 in Berne, Switzerland. A young patent clerk has been dreaming marvelous dreams about the nature of time. He is Albert Einstein and he has almost finished his special theory of relativity. What were his dreams like those last pivotal few months?

Here an evening of fables conjures up as many theoretical realms of time, dreamt in as many nights. In one world time is circular, its people fated to repeat triumph and trial over and over and over again...in another, men and women try to capture time-which appears as a nightingale-in a bell jar... in yet another, there is no time, only frozen moments. These worlds are Einstein's Dreams.

From PerformInk

PI ONLINE:
10-28-05

A Writer Dives into a New Challenge
BY JOLENE TURNER
On a crisp Saturday in October, four actors and four writers, all strangers to one another, gathered on Chicago’s West side for a frightening, yet exhilarating, new challenge: meet one another, get randomly paired up, take 35 minutes to create a monologue based on a line of literature, then perform it immediately thereafter.

This is “Monodogs of War: Literature 201,” the new monologue challenge created by n.u.f.a.n. Ensemble artistic director Paul Barile. The idea is, the writers do the writing, the actors do the acting, and the audience gets to watch cool improv shows and musical reviews while waiting for the writers and actors to reappear with a new piece of witty and dramatic theatre.

Barile began “Monodogs of War” for two reasons: as a networking opportunity for actors and writers to better understand one another’s processes; and to be a friendly competition between like-minded artists. The name derived from the second reason–‘mono’ was used because of the word monologue, and the rest of it, ‘dogs of war,’ to imply fierce battle.

Saturday’s performance was the second of its kind and I was asked to cover it for PerformInk. Before I even saw it coming, I was also participating in it as a Monodog writer, and an undercover PI reporter, with Barile the only one the wiser.

What Did I get Myself Into?

When I received the assignment I was game, but confused. “What exactly am I doing?” I asked Barile in an e-mail, I received a simple reply back: “Just bring yourself and be prepared to have fun.”

OK, gulp.

The day arrives and I am running late. Not good. “Monodogs” is held at the Portage Park Center for the Arts, where n.u.f.a.n.is the resident company. This lovely arts center is located in the old Nebo Lutheran Church at 5801 W. Dakin St. (near Irving and Central). The director of the center, Jennifer La Civita, is there to greet me and calm me down when I rush in a few minutes late. I peek inside at what was once the alter, and there is Barile talking to seven people. This is not what I expected. I presume not what Barile expected, either.

“The first show,” Barile tells me later, “we had a really good sized audience and improv troupes, tonight, though, is obviously a different story.”

Do I need to say it? White Sox. OK, seven people, I‘m still nervous and still clueless. Barile begins to give a run-down of what will happen. The actors will be called to draw a writer’s name. The writer will then draw a line of dialogue, which has to be used somewhere in the monologue. The two will exit together and create magic.

OK, I can do this! Magic? No biggie! The actor I am paired up with is a 20-something woman. Relief, I think! I can write for a 20-something woman. For the sake of keeping all identities private, I call her Lucy. I draw my line of dialogue: “I‘ve never been arrested. I‘ve been stopped, searched and had a gun put to my head by the Chicago cops.”—Tim Meadows.

OK, that quote is not very girly.

Time to Work! Um, I Mean Sweat

Barile says that the program, more important than the actual performance, is a chance for actors and playwrights to do some networking. While that is all well and nice, I want to write something good, and I have my game face on. Lucy and I go to an adjacent room. I begin the mad panic of writing while Lucy flips about on a tumble mat just a few feet away. We try and chitchat, but I am too tense to give her my attention. I realize I am letting my art become more important than making a new friend. I finish with just about 13 minutes left for Lucy to work with it and become the kleptomaniac character I have just created.

Times Up!

The 35-minute bell has rung and as we join the other group, Lucy says to me, “I‘m going to go a completely random angle with this and see what happens.” What? OK. Now Barile also says that the idea is the actor will perform the monologue and the writer will wring her hands of it and pray for the best. Is a racing heart similar to wringing my hands of it?

Lucy and I sit down in the pew and I thank God (pun intended) that this isn‘t a church anymore as my monologue is not God-friendly. The first actor performs and it is at that point that I get it. “Monodogs of War” really isn‘t about being the best. It is an opportunity to learn, support one another and be surrounded by some really great talent that is now so accessible. Lucy did a great job, and while her performance was not what I expected, it was a wake-up call that words have different meaning to different people.

Everyone’s work and willingness to try was impressive. We even got a second round! I felt all warm and mushy inside, until I was paired with a larger than life 6’ 4” male actor, completely opposite of myself. How do I write for him? I began to sweat all over again.

It’s a Wrap!

By the end of the night I had a list of questions ready to throw at Barile. One was: “Have you ever thought of bringing ‘Monodogs’ to the east side of town?’ The second after I wrote it, Barile said, “Thanks for coming and we will bring theatre to Chicago’s west side whether it kills me or not!” OK, scratch that question. But what does Barile mean by that?

“If you want to see good theatre you either go east or you go to Naperville,” Barille says, “and suburban theatre is just a different animal that we are not going to do.” Barile continues, “There is a ton of great theatre east of here and I don‘t want to compete with them. I want to support them, but people in this area are not as likely to go out east, so we are here for them.”

The only thing now is getting “Monodogs” off its feet. Like any new program, it may take time, but Barile is hopeful. And while it hasn‘t become much of a form of fierce competition, Barile is OK with that. “I‘m letting it become its own beast,” he says.

Barile also has a good attitude in regard to those that want to participate. “If you don‘t have the experience but you have the enthusiasm, I‘ll give you as shot, and if you succeed, I‘ll give you another shot.”

“Monodogs of War: Literature 201” will be performed again in February at the Portage Park Center for the Arts, 5801 W. Dakin St. Chicago (in the old Nebo Lutheran Church). Ticket price is $3 or 2-4-$5. To be a participating writer or actor, contact Paul Barile at 773/282-0344, or by e-mail, paulbarile@juno.com.