Haines His Way

DerBRUCER I think you may have the answer there!  Thanks to DRTPUNK and DR DtM for the suggestions as well.

I am very scared.  We open in 6 days...and it's a mess....and I don't have my character yet....too scared about everything else.  I don't know.

I guess I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.  But I just wish some other people had been cast in a few of the roles...

But then I turn on the news, and I have NO PROBLEMS or complaints.

never mind.

Looking forward to THE FLY!

I see a Dear Reader Laura, and we would all like to know why dear reader Sandra has disappeared off the face of the earth, haineshisway.com-wise.  Do NOT ignore us.

I cannot believe that no one here can take a guess as to which of the listed variety shows I appeared on.  I have asked this question three times.  

Dear Reader Sandra has been busy with classes. She has two night classes this semester, as well.

Goodness me - I'm finally caught up! Sorry to have been E&T - things at work are out of control busy right now with schools starting up, and we're operating without at least three states phoning in. The Louisiana rep had her first call today from a woman in Baton Rouge. She wanted to order extra scripts for SEUSSICAL. I guess her show really must go on. We still haven't heard from Georgia, Mississippi or anyone else from Louisiana. None of us expect to for many, many weeks.

TOD: Carol Burnett and the Muppet Show are the only two variety shows I remember from their first runs. I also enjoyed the reruns of the Mandrell Sisters' Show.

I very much enjoyed everyone's photos from yesterday's posts. And Jose's from the park today. Perhaps I'll go there this weekend... I'm heading to the Bronx Zoo Saturday morning with some friends. That'll be a lot of fun, and the weather is supposed to be more glorious than it was today.

My heart breaks every time I turn on the TV or go to CNN.com and see news about the flooding. New Orleans has historically been one of the poorest metropolitan cities in the United States. Sadly, many of its residents apparently couldn't afford to evacuate or simply didn't have anywhere else to go. Now, in the case of Mr. Domino and others who DO have the means to get out and had plenty of warning - I don't understand that. I've heard several people on the news say that they swore if they got through this one, they'd never NOT evacuate ever again.

I've often wondered what I would do if disaster struck NYC. I wasn't here for 9/11. I wasn't here for the blackout. I'm not sure how I'd handle myself in an emergency. I don't know my way around Queens and the East Side very well above ground - I'm usually in the subway - but I have a good sense of direction. I think I could get home, but I don't know how well I'd handle it emotionally or mentally. The stories we're hearing from New Orleans are horrifying to THINK about. I can't imagine what it must be like to actually be there.

Yesterday on MSNBC.com they were featuring a gallery of images from Louisiana and Mississippi. One of the photos featured a warning from the Editor, pointing out that the photo contained graphic images. When I opened the picture, it was an image of the exposed lower back of a drowning victim who was completely submerged in the greenish-brown water and partially covered by floating tires and empty plastic bottles. Many people would think that's a terrible thing to post on the web, but honestly - it was the most sobering image I've seen since this whole thing started and really gave me a hint of what things are like down there.

Anderson Cooper had a feature where he was shadowing the search and recovery teams in Gulfport or Biloxi. They cracked open a window to a house that contained four corpses. Anderson had a hard time keeping it together.

The scope of the destruction, death and chaos is unfathomable to me. I hope the relief supplies arrive in the Delta tomorrow so some of these people can start getting some help.

I am very pleased that Caitlynne will probably be the only Canadian teenager singing a song that has a reference to "thongs" in it.  As well as Paris Hilton.  SCORE!

Sadly, that and the Dinah Shore and Her New Best Friends series were my only variety show appearances.  I would love to have done others.

DR Sandra had fencing class tonight. She is currently recovering from said fencing class.

Well, tell the recuperating daughter that it is RUDE to abandon friends who miss her daily doses of wit.

All you have to do to have pancakes is come out here to LA.

Cinecon, a very big movie and dealer show has begun today.  I might try to get over there on Saturday - don't think I'll have much time tomorrow, heaven knows.  

I was actually in NYC during the blackout.  I was on the 16th Floor of 520 8th Avenue, playing Camelot auditions at Ripley-Grier.  None of us had any idea of what was going on.

Once we walked down to the ground floor, and started walking along the streets, we started picking up bits and pieces of news via people's car radios.  It truly was such a "weird" time.

That day, I happened to be among some people who were in NYC during 9/11.  They commented that they felt "safer" during 9/11 - even with the massive loss of life and the destruction of the World Trade Center.  The power stayed on that day.  People were able to watch the news reports on TV.  People were chatting with their friends over the internet.  People were able to watch TV.  The cell phone towers were operational.  In short, they knew what was going on, more or less.

I still remember that great sense of the "unknown" in the air that day of the blackout.  We all kept looking to the horizon to see if there was some sign of smoke or fire, just some definite sign that some thing was happening.  There were huddles of people on sidewalks around battery-operated radios.  -And there were also huddles of people surrounding tables where batteries and candles were for sale.  Most of "us" did not really find out what was going on until the following morning when we read the special editions of the newspapers - and I remember some of the newspapers were just being given out freely, as a public service of sorts.

However, as the evening approached that night, the word had spread from mouth to mouth to mouth that the power grid had blown.  It was not a terrorist action.  And that power had already started being restored to small pockets here and there.  I was staying in the Village that night.  It was very dark, but I felt very safe.  In fact, it felt like the city was gearing up for one big slumber party.  *And thankfully, I always carry a book of matches in my bag, and I had spotted where the candles were in the apartment I was staying in.  What is it with gay men and their candles?  

...And then waking up the next morning, and finding that the Italian bakery downstairs had hot, fresh-from-the-oven pastries - gas ovens!... Hmm...  And Amtrak was basically running on time too - at least southbound.

Good NIGHT!  WUSSBURGER!

Four hundred posts anyone?

Dear Readers it is with much sadness that I must pass on the news that Derek Menzie died at some stage early today. The thoughts and wishes and indeed support have been of great stength to him over these past few month. OzDerek was one of the planet's kindest men. A truly selfless being.

I'm so sorry to hear the sad news.