Just a few words:
My show went great!! Nightfly came with his girlfriend – I’ve never met either of them – so that was SO cool and it was just so nice that they made the effort to come out. Thanks, guys!
Also – it just goes to show you that a little self-publicity works – because a woman who reads me (but hasn’t yet commented) came to the show, just on the basis of my own post about it. SO NICE!!!! It took me a second to even realize that that was what had happened. “Wait a second … you just … read about it on my site … and decided to come? Do you comment on my blog? No? Uhm … what???’ So so nice! Also, she was with a guy who looks so damn familiar that I am still haunted by it. He said he had the same feeling – so I know it will come to me at 3 am where I had met him before.
Anyway – it was so so nice that you all came out. Truly! It meant a lot.
David was there, with my good friends Bill and Bob.
Bob seemed rather morose afterwards. The piece had troubled him. He has a teenage daughter. David (who … uhm … WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT HIM??) – he’s now seen the damn piece 3 times, and so he can give me a play-by-play critique of how it was different from the other times … he’s really seen the piece develop. But anyway, David said to Bob, “So … what did you think of Sheila’s piece?”
Bob said, morosely, “I think women need to be protected. I feel like they need to be driven around in armored cars.”
I’m sorry – I started laughing hysterically as I typed that out.
It was SUCH a funny and heartfelt response. Speaking as the father of a teenage girl. Wanting to protect her from future heartache, etc. It was hysterical. I mean – not hysterical that he was so upset – but it was hysterical (and beautiful) that that was his response to the piece. It was also hysterical just HOW he said it. His eyes were on the TV (we were out in a bar) – he didn’t look at me, or move his eyes, his face didn’t change – but then he came out with THAT.
This other woman came up to me in the lobby and started shouting at me about how her ex-fiance still lived in her neighborhood, and how she couldn’t avoid seeing him, and how much it pissed her off, and how he looked like so many other people, so she kept THINKING she saw him … She didn’t even say “Good show.” to me – it was AWESOME. People just randomly come up to me and start talking about their own relationships, or whatever. It’s so great! This happens all the time when I do the piece, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the experience: people come up to me and start talking about themselves. Best. Response. Ever. Anyway, she just HAD to tell me about her ex-fiance living in her neighborhood – and she went on and on, and her voice got louder, and more annoyed, and I asked, innocently, “When did you guys break up?” She replied, “15 years ago.” Long silence. Craig then said, with a deadpan face, “But you’re over it, right?” Long pause – then we all just BURST into laughter.
So. Back to business. No, I have not been locked up in an armored car for the last 3 days – despite Bob’s recommendation – I’ve been tromping around Philadelphia, getting a bit sunburnt … and I was able to visit the haunts of all my favorite dudes!!!
And I just need to say this:
In my hotel, there was a sign in the lobby that said, exactly:
Please …….
Shirts & Shoes required
I found the ellipses fascinating. I kept saying it in my head – the way it was written. It wasn’t just dot-dot-dot … It was 7 dots. Yes. I counted. It made it seem like they had been pleading with customers over and over to put on shirts and shoes and finally had been reduced to begging. PLEASE …. I BEG YOU … PUT ON A DAMN SHIRT!
There’s a hell of a lot of EMOTION in that long long ellipses.
I am now home – only to find that my DVD of the first season of Grey’s Anatomy has arrived! So I am going to climb into bed, put on pajamas, put aloe on my damn sunburn, and lose myself in a necessary escape. I’m burnt out right now. Literally.
Oh wait. I’ll put on pajamas before I climb into bed.
I am fried.
More on Philly later.
I used to live in Philadelphia so there’s always this strange rather disorienting sense of deja vu when I go there.
I’m glad the show went great.
Along the lines of your ellipses…I once sent some automobile paperwork to Customs to be processed, and when I got the paperwork back, the envelope and messenger slip were covered ALL OVER with the word “AUTO” in different sized letters. There were a couple of them that were underlined so ferociously that they tore through the paper. I just thought “wow, this person must really be stressed out about getting paperwork that belongs in another department.” It was psychotic.
Congrats again on the successful show.
Oh thank Xenu! I was getting worried that you had met with an unfortunate accident or something.
I was going to start sending you little one-line emails: “Where aaaaarrrrreeeee yooooouuuu?”
(I saw a much-younger [and much thinner] Cousin Mike hosting a game show on Nickleodeon the other day. I stopped short and thought, “Oh my god, it’s Cousin Mike’s salad days!” Aw, the wonder of reruns!)
//thank Xenu//
hahahahahahahahaha
Yes – I am here!! And sunburnt!
emily – holy crap with the Auto thing. So bizarre!!!
Please …….
PLEASE …….
Put on your shoes! Don’t make me beg!
Welcome back, Sheila!
Many congratulations.
you can’t call your best friend to let him know your okay?? Alright…fine…im not upset…honestly.
Welcome back! And many congratulations on your great show! I love to hear about people’s reactions to your performance… to write something, perform it, and have so many people relate to it, it must be an incredible feeling.
If there were only some way you could commit your performance of 74 Facts and One Lie to some digital media, perhaps some people who read you regularly but are too far away to see it in person would love to purchase it! Hint! Hint!
I’m so glad the show went so well!
(I’m a little jealous – profs generally don’t get those moments of “deep connection” from those we serve.)
And I’m glad you’re back – I was afraid that your “In the end…” post meant, literally, you were ending the blog, but were being very very evasive about it.
And ellipses….ha ha ha. I use them all the time. Both in “written speech” and in “spoken speech.”
I’m guessing that seven-ellipse is meant to come out kind of like a sigh, sort of like Michael Caine’s response to Steve Martin’s goofiness early on in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – kind of that world-weary, “here’s another rube I’m gonna have to educate” feeling.
I, too, was a little “Hmm…” at the post titled “In the End” and then nothing for like three days. Being a creature of habit, I have coffee, news, and SheilaBlogTime every morning. I was just a tad discombobulated.
Welcome back, Sheila! I’m envious that you went to Philly. I’ve loved every trip I’ve taken there – the people are beautifully cracked. =) Now, to business – we have to know – Gino’s or Pat’s?
hahahahaha Now I can see why that last “in the end” post would seem strangely prophetic if I never ever returned. hahaha Honestly I was just getting ready to do my show – and Moulin Rouge came to mind!!
And ricki – totally! It was like the hotel was SO TIRED of telling the unwashed masses to put on shirts and shoes that they were just exhausted by the effort. And this wasn’t a handwritten sign – they BOUGHT it – it was MADE somewhere – a glass sign, with green stenciled letters – hysterical.
Geno’s or Pats – the eternal debate. Now here is a shameful secret. I have lived in Philly my whole life, born here and all that, My wife born here, and other than a chicago interlude when she was young, always here as well, And well, Pat’s sort of suck, and haven’t tried genos yet. Shameful. Best Burger, Try Monks or Plough and Star. Need to take your show on the road – into Philly. As the father of a teenage girl, I get the sentiment,
wonderful! i’m so glad it went well, and that you got to traipse. traipsing is fun. the roommate and i just had a discussion this morning about the lack of post-age that we’d noticed, so, as lisa said, thank Xenu “In the End …” wasn’t prophetic!
also, do you want to change that last title to “In the End …….” ? ; )
Sounds like it was a success, Sheila. Congratulations!
What a happy post! Congratulations on the show, Red!
I feel like I should start talking about myself so you’ll know how great your post was. So… Hey! I’m going tomorrow to sign the lease for our new apartment. We only had to look at one other place before we found it. My head’s spinning.
Red!
Glad you had a great show! I can’t wait to see this some day (along with your Liza and ‘Break It Up Lady).
I love your reaction to people’s reactions, if that makes sense. You’re so vivacious and passionate. Love it!
Your observation of the sign at the hotel made me LOL. Thanks!
YAY!
I’m so proud of you Sheila. I’m soooo proud of you!!!
roo – I read your post about where you live, etc., and we are right up the street from each other. I think I go by your road when I take a run!!
Congrats on finding a new apartment – and on the spectacular frog hat!!!!
Jon F – for some reason, it just kills me and thrills me that you are posting on my blog from freakin’ Iraq. Like: what an amazing world.
I love that you remember “Break it up” lady! hahahahahahahaha
amelia – hahahahahahaha Yes, I think I need a couple more dots there to really make my point!!
Congrats on another good show, Sheila. One day, I’m actually going to make it to an NYC performance…
Looking forward to your inevitable Grey’s S1 review.
WAIT…….I thought THIS was the 1st season of Gray’s Anatomy!? Have I missed a whole season? WTF!? I’m so out of it.
Welcome back. I feel like your show, and our night out, was a lifetime ago.
And yes………like fine wine………….the show does get better with age.
By the way, randomly, I’m all about Sestinas. I’m working on one now. I’m sure it’s horrible but I’m obsessed with it.
still laughing about the ellipses.
Congratulations!
That is all. :-)
David – I believe we are now in the 2nd season. I am so BEHIND in the whole Grey’s Anatomy thing – that I can’t be sure – but I just got a complete season in the mail. I watched the first 3 episodes last night – and you know how the beginnings of series often seem awkward, and like they’re trying too hard? This one appears very smooth and sure – like they already know where they are going.
I’m just so impressed with the whole thing!!