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LOOKING FORWARD to March

I bought this for my son and he threw it from the tenth floor

 balcony.

Great week in the life of improvising. On Friday, I went to see my friend Mark perform at Strike theater for their stage match competition.  It was enjoyable to see so many people in the audience. Strike theater is connected to a bunch of small restaurants in this warehouse-building so parking can be cumbersome. I parked in the back and found a door that helped me walk through the whole warehouse.

On Thursday, I got real sick, and learned that my body cannot digest cauliflower, cooked or uncooked. 

Finally, I read a few books and caught up on a few TV shows. 

Psychological Tricks 

1. Foot-in-the-door phenomenon, People are more likely to agree to do a task for you if you ask them to do something simpler first (Gradual commitment makes people think you like them). Alternatively, you ask them to do an unreasonable task and they’ll say no. So then you should ask for a more reasonable task and they will be more likely to agree.

2. Remembering Names, if you can get into the habit of not only remembering someone’s name when you first meet them, but using their name in the subsequent conversation you have, they’ll find you terribly charming and wonderful. Isn’t that awesome?

3. When laughter breaks out in a group of people, each one will instinctively glance at whichever other individual they feel closest to in that group. This is a good way of spotting who is more closer to whom in the group.

4. Chew gum when you’re approaching a situation that would make you nervous like public speaking or bungee jumping. If we are ‘eating’ something, our brain trips and it reasons “I would not be eating if I were danger. So I’m not in danger’’.

5. People’s feet are often an insight into what they’re thinking. For example, if you approach two people talking and they turn their torso to you but not their feet, they’d prefer you leave them alone. Similarly if you’re talking to someone and their torso is turned towards you but their feet are facing in another direction, they want the conversation to end.

 

ON THE BLOG

Reading

I heard a new season Bridgerton is coming to TV so I picked this book up.

Reading

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LOOKING FORWARD to February

This week I went to the recording studio in Brooklyn Center to make episode one of Dark Shadows, you may remember this show from the 60's. We have decided to create an improv version of this show and I play sister Cullen.

On Thursday morning It snowed a couple more inches in Minnesota, and I tried to get out of the driveway of my work place and got stuck and then rang AAA and they didn't say what time they'd tow me out, 

but I'm glad I didn't wait, because I got a call back three hours later.

It was treacherous and there were no cars on the highway at 7AM on a weekday. I scrambled to get the last parking spot near my building and didn't leave till the next day.

Recording Dark Shadows

By the way, I had this thing happen on my chromebook where it changed my email login completely  to another one, and it's made it hard to locate fellow bloggers. Before I could just type one or two letters of a familiar blog name and it would pop up in the search but now it does not. If anyone has a strategy for keeping track of all of their blog readers let me know in the comments below.

 

ON THE BLOG

Charley Rhodes works at Bold Brew Coffeehouse and has a penchant for matchmaking. Some even say she’s an actual love match charmer, but Charley simply maintains it’s the magic of living in Valentine, Vermont, and the maple cinnamon lattes that inspire her gift of helping others find love. The problem is she’s just as bad at finding love for herself as she is good at finding it for others. With an angelic voice that could melt the coldest of hearts, her single status is even more difficult to grasp. Too bad making whipped cream and chocolate drizzled beverages are the only plans she's had for Valentine's Day since having her heart tossed out like a box of outdated candy hearts three years ago.

I liked this novel so-so. I liked the idea that one of the characters reviews Inns and another is a matchmaker. The novel was kinda Cheesy and the author could have delved deeper into characterization and tone, but it was cute.

Shondaland.com Relationships, no matter their nature, always require hard work. But what happens when, despite the hours put into your relationship, your writing partner and close friend becomes your enemy? This is the reality for Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen in The Roughest Draft.

The duo were once considered the hottest new voices in the literary scene, but their friendship quickly deteriorates after their wildly successful co-written novel is released. Nathan is accused of having an extramarital affair, then each one takes jabs at the other in unflattering interviews. Thanks to a few other fascinating developments that dominate the news cycle, Nathan and Katrina end up not speaking to each other for four years after their messy demise.

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LOOKING FORWARD to February

Happy Valentines Week everyone

Last Saturday I went to learn line dancing at a Hmong dance hall.  By the end of the night ,the hall was filled with people, and everyone was dancing to hip hop.  It was nice to see the comradery among the asian elders, and some of the dancing reminded me a mix between country line dance and Hawaiian dance.

Vietnamese pho

a picture from the disability improv jam

On Wednesday, a friend stopped by my place to give my son this pickachu hat, whose ears flap with each tug of its handle.

I was reading quora and found these fun psychological tricks.

1.On an airplane, if your seatmate is hogging the armrest or being too chatty, just grab the barf bag. Works every time.

2. When you're in an argument, find something to agree on, then push your main point.

3. Be direct and personal when you need things. Instead of asking IF anyone has an EpiPen, ask WHO has an EpiPen.

4. Want to make people instantly like you? Spill you coffee.

Seem weird? But a lot of studies confirm that pointing out our vulnerability actually increases our attractiveness and trustworthiness. BUT you have to make sure they already know you’re credible.

5. When you need to find out a name eg for a lead, you say ‘Oh is John still managing up there?’ They go ‘no it’s Mark now.’ Works with anything, just use a fake.

6. If you look happy to see someone every time you see them, they will eventually be happy to see you.

 

ON THE BLOG

Reading

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LOOKING FORWARD to February

On Monday, I went to a Yoga class at the Y .  I got locked out of the the class so instead of knocking I go to the front desk and ask them to unlock the door, which is very telling about my personality.

 This week I sat in on a sketch comedy website. We made an inventory list of objects which I later found out was supposed to be in a chosen setting. 

We talked about how the ad companies seem to know all about us online and how they have found ways to send us advertisements based on our interest to our emails and social media sites. Here is an interesting article about a woman who was stalked by an advertising shoe company. https://www.theonion.com/woman-stalked-across-8-websites-by-obsessed-shoe-advert-1819578313

This is a sketch comedy exercise we did this week.

1.Write a list of settings 

2. Then choose a setting and write a list of objects, 

3.Then write a list of objects, then choose an object and write a paragraph from the objects perspective in one of the chosen settings.

Here are some funny things that I heard on the radio this week.

I can’t go to your work party because I have a avocado 🥑 at home that just riped.

Netflix embarrasses me: ‘Are you still watching?'

Whenever the jury wants to solve a murder, they write and say "We need you, here is 15 bucks."

My kids said being a dirty adult must be awesome. I didn’t wanna ruin it for them by saying "honey you are describing depression…, that’s an adult who hasn’t gotten into adulthood"

I picked up a rubber band that has been in the same spot for three years. You see what I’m capable of when I give it my all-when something has been there for longer than three days, it becomes a part of the landscape.

When I want to let people know that I’m done with a conversation, but don’t wanna be rude about it, I comment with a smiley on my last text.

Upcoming Events

To Kill a Mockingbird presented by Hennepin Trust

All rise for Academy Award®-winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork.

Feb 14-19

 

ON THE BLOG

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LOOKING FORWARD to January

This week Zulfi and I made brownies together. He prefers cake but he did take a bite. I did some improv on Oozebear. 

On Thursday, I went to a body pump class at the YMCA and felt like a bodybuilder for a hot minute while doing squats and lifting five pound weights. I'd lift more, but I have to reduce any tension on my wrists. And yesterday I went to the Y in Eagan for Zumba class.

Eagan YMCA

It snowed a little bit this week and immediately turned into slush. I guess in Buffalo, Minnesota they received 5 feet of snow in one day and in the cities we received five feet this year.

Below is how you play Five Things (an improv game). I like to play it by saying Name Five things that didn't happen to you today.

Five Things

Actors stand in a circle. One actor initiates by pointing at another and asking him or her to say 5 things as fast as he or she can based on a category of his/her choosing: “Five songs you like.” As the student names off each one, the rest of the class will count along, cheering when five have been said.

SFAH (improv) at Invergrove Studio

 

ON THE BLOG

Reading

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LOOKING FORWARD to January

This week Zulfi and I went to the YMCA to go swimming.  He had a fun time playing with the water toys including the boats. He explored a nearby library and enjoyed these reading corners that reminded him of the Star Wars movie.

Reading spaces at Woodbury library

On Wednesday I returned to the dentist after my filling popped out of my mouth.  While looking down from the second floor window of the dental office, I could see police officers escorting a psych patient back into the psych ward after his harried escape failed. And Thursday, I went to the Orthopedic clinic to get a steroid shot in my right knee. I had been having trouble taking the stairs for a few weeks now, and the shot seemed to do the trick.

We woke up to a few inches on Thursday morning. I did improv online and wrote a comedy sketch about a character who is an insecure bodybuilder.

Woodbury Library

 

ON THE BLOG

Reading

Trust your Vibes by Sonia Choquette

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LOOKING FORWARD to January

This week I spent some time dubbing indian films with other improvisers and it was absolutely hilarious. A lot of scenes had to do with people upset about eating their vegetables. 

My son Zulfi insisted I buy him an alien costume on Amazon. It's pretty cute. He has a similar Alien costume on Roblox. 

What is Roblox?

Roblox is a virtual universe that lets you create, share experiences with friends.  It has games like "Among Us" and a couple of my favorite "Block Fall" and "Mine Craft"

I also did some virtual improv. Doing it from your phone can be tough  because of ZOOM features like turning on and off your mic. We did some tongue twisters like the one below

My son putting together Star Wars LEGOS set

My friend Maureen playing the Violin

This week, I also made some brownies and I didn't have the right size pan so I had to get resourceful and ring up a couple of our neighbors in the building, luckily my male neighbor had a pan.

Finally, I had an introspective conversation with an improviser about how much you can learn about someone while doing improv, and she said "If I can see their flaws during improv, I wonder what they see about me!"

A Link to a fun improv session I was in.

https://www.oozebear.com/listen-to-recording.php?id=8c0b909f1aca24987fa0ae6d6d6c646f

Upcoming Events

Alexandra Bodnarchuk presents Rock, Paper, Scissors at The Southern Theater March 17 - 19.

Rock, Paper, Scissors is an evening length (dance) duet that explores the generational passing down of

rules and customs of our bodies.

 

ON THE BLOG

Reading

"The Measure" explores Fate.

Today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

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LOOKING FORWARD to January

This week I took my son sledding and he had a blast. We used a makeshift sled made out of cardboard. 

We had a Disability Jam at HUGE theater. We played games like Pompous Man and a game called Whoosh. My six-year-old son  was able to come with and he loved being able to do improv with adults and included his own nuances into the games. I'm in the picture below with my son sitting next to me.  Here is how you play

'Whoosh'

Average Joe's (Improv Jam)

1.  Everybody stands in a circle.

2.  Start with one person, who waves both hands to his/her neighbor, saying `Whoosh`.

3.  The next person passes the Whoosh to his neighbor, and that way the Whoosh is passed around the circle.

4.  There’s 4 other sounds/movements that can be made:

5.  Whoa!: indicated by saying “whoa”, and holding up both hands in a stop motion. A “Whoa” changes the direction of the Whoosh.

 My son had several days off school so it was a few days at home watching K-Dramas and reading books and playing with LEGOs and drawing with my son.

Finally, I did a stage match at Strike Theater.

 

ON THE BLOG

Reading