Train in vain. (Stand by me.)

And suddenly......my life exploded!

In a (mostly, I think) good way!

Phew.

Here we go. This will be all out of order, most likely, but who the fuck cares anyway?

Saturday afternoon found me singing alto and treble in Aldo's bedroomw ith a few staunch singing friends. Kelsey was in town from Boston for a little bit, and Lauren and Jesse came over to see her. I sang with her, and then when she left and Rachel and Zeke came in, I sang treble. I didn't sing tenor at all during the actual singing. It was interesting.

Saturday night, I saw "Passing Strange" at the Belasco with Miss Molly Garber. she got comps through some producer-type person. We were seated directly behind none other than Peter Dagger, a fellow Saratoga Shakespearean, and his friend Jeremy, both of whom appeared at La MaMa a few weeks ago. The show was really, really enjoyable-- one of the actors who I saw (and met) in Well when it was in Boston, Colman, was in the show and he is really a delight to watch. Speaking of delights, I felt so happy to be with Molly--I don't see her enough. I don't really see anyone enough.

After the show, we went by train and foot, in the cold rain, to a bar on Avenue C to meet up with my cousin Matt at a party for his girlfriend, Sarah. This was the first time I had met her and she was so lovely and sweet and I was glad that I made it to the fete.

Before I go any further, here: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ABE LINCOLN! And Ian Merrigan. And Mike Anderson. And Ben Silverstein.

Sunday morning found me being a real person, accompanied by another real person, in my neighborhood-- getting coffee, walking by the water, going in stores, things like that. I like Williamsburg more and more. Excuse me while I go get an ugly haircut. (Oh god, knock on wood, I shouldn't say things like that so soon before my appointment.) Really though-- why resist? Don't be a hater.

This is a gem from hilarious friend and former resident of Amsterdam, Justin:

Justin:
randy quaid is going to be in my nightmares now
i cant believe how crazy he is
he's a QUAID
that's a halftstep away from lower-tiered Baldwin
between a baldwin and a wayans, i'd say
and he sure the hell ain't no Guy Williams JR.

That he ain't, Justin.

After that I had a day at work, a brief stint at a baby's birthday party (she was asleep, I ate food), and a night at Erin and Jimmy's newly-painted and rearranged apartment. The decoupaged tray I made them long ago now has a place on the newly-appointed 'kitsch corner,' right under the Ouija board with a swastika on it. Yes! I fell asleep as soon as I got there. Erin and I ate bagels in the morning and then I made the stupid decision to go shopping. For clothes. In real stores. Obviously a bad idea. Like I don't know myself or something.

This morning, starting at 8 am, I ran tech for my surly bastard child of a play, The Civil Wargasm. It was satisfying and frustrating-- I had to work very hard and exercise my best SM/director/techie muscles. Pat had laid some really good tech groundwork for me, but I invented a light design that I think works okay, and created some sound transitions that are, I think, effective. This is borderline bragging for me. Who is this new Anna who acknowledges when she does work? And good work, at that? (Cocky bitch that she is, I'm sure she'll be nowhere to be found in a few moments.) Michael and I revisited our realization (had on World AIDS day last year) that we cannot and will not ever, ever date-- it's good to make sure you know who to avoid so as to not waste time, right?-- which no one found as hilarious as us, of course. Hysteria was constantly being beaten away, and the fact that I had to climb a rope to get into the booth DIDN'T help. But I love working. I love working. Even when I'm tired and lazy, I love working.

Though not at LM. I mean, not this kind of work.


(HIRE ME! Said like Maeby's MARRY ME!)

Now, work. Tonight, Carnivale and tea. And electric blanket. And dreams of cuddling with Slinky.

also, two silly things and one nice thing:

1) Why is Martin McDonagh so FUCKING HOT?! Here he is at Monday night's NY premiere of In Bruges (which I might get to see tomorrow, hope hope hope):


It brings to mind Emily's famous quote from a few years ago: "He looks like he'd be really good at....having sex."


2) Hilarious antics from Randy and Evi Quaid CONTINUE! He just got banned FOR LIFE from Equity thanks to his shenanigans during the catastrophe that is and has been "Lone Star Love." Basically, the producers (and everyone else) point the finger at these clowns when it comes to the reason the show closed, so now Randy's getting fined the total of two weeks' salary for the whole cast....and various charges are being made against both him and his wife. Check it out (from that most reputable of sources, the NY Post):

A source close to the Quaids said they will appeal Equity's decision. "These are ludicrous charges and this is a kangaroo court," the source said.

Randy didn't show up for the hearing, which was held in Los Angeles. But his wife did and, according to a report on TMZ last week, berated several Equity staff members, including a 76-year-old receptionist whom she allegedly kicked in the shins, "drawing blood."

Equity reportedly took out a restraining order against her.

Evi, in turn, says staffers broke her finger, and she has requested a restraining order against them.

During the 61/2-hour hearing, Evi repeatedly screamed that the allegations against her husband were part of a "Nazi plot," according to a source who attended the meeting.

When Randy resigned from the union, he told some of the actors they were part of a "pinko-commie organization" that was out to get him, sources say.

A week before the hearing, Evi e-mailed several actors, threatening to sue them unless they dropped the charges against her husband.

"You have one last chance to stop this onerous campaign or else you will be drawn into a legal quagmire," she wrote.

The "War and Peace"-size complaint was assembled by the entire cast of "Lone Star Love" and included the following allegations:

* Quaid hit an actor on the back of the head four times during performances. When the stage manager told him to stop, he smacked the actor again.

* Another actor was warned that if he made direct eye contact with Quaid onstage, he'd be fired.

* Quaid made "sexually inappropriate" comments onstage, repeatedly referring to an actress' musical instruments as her "gynecological instruments."

* The couple tried to rewrite the script, to eliminate characters.

* Randy "felt free" to change blocking, lyrics and lines during performances, and repeatedly failed to show up for note sessions and rehearsals.

I love it.

3) My cousin has a cute baby!