Oh What a Week

This past week has been possibly the most craziest thing to happen to me, ever. It was of course, Mac Eng Musical! Artsy and the Geek, a fine loving tale of a geek and an artsy who fall in loveish, not at all based on Beauty and the Beast. We have been prepping for this since September, and as a member of the almighty crew, I helped build the awesome props we used to make this musical come to life. The week started, as weeks are wont to do, on Monday, when we headed down to the theatre for the first time. The majority of the props were already there, but we spent that day making a bunch more little, and not so little, last minute props that hadn't been done yet, and rehearsing the play, which the majority of crew hadn't even read the script for before that night. After a rather successful day, we headed back to campus around midnight, content with our awesomeness.

The next day was much the same, except this time we had an audience of some of the past leaders of the Eng Musical, which we didn't realize until we noticed laughter from the audience. That was also the day I met Brianna, who, as almost the first thing she told, is not to be called Britney. The thing is, Brianna is a high school student where we held the play, and was doing the lights. When I met her, she had just woken up from a nap, had messy hair and was wrapped in a blanket. Naturally, in my prop-making daze, I assumed she was an upper-year engineer and struck up a conversation with her. Eventually I realized, wait, this girl doesn't seem like an engineer at all...oh shit she's jailbait. That day also marked the arrival of my personal favourite prop, the Snuggie. Not only was it suprisingly comfortable, it makes for an awesome two-man person, and thus, Snuggieman was born. The next night we ran the entire dress rehearsal, completely flawless (well, almost), and the crew realized that during intermission, while the band was still playing, was a great time for an impromptu dance party on the stage. Afterwards, the lead of the play and my good friend, Andrew, my fellow crew-mate, Kevin and I went to West End for a delicious St. Patty's pint (after 12, but hey, its the spirit that counts!)

The next night was the big night, opening day! Us crew had to act as ushers and ticket-takers, and we watched with great big grins as what seemed at the time like a large group of people flowed into the theatre. We were a bit disappointed to realize they barely filled one sixth of the theatre, but hey, it was an audience. We performed the show nearly perfect, and gave birth to our personal tradition of wearing silly hats at all times. I also went out waving a trident prop for the curtain call :D. We then went back to the dressing room, broke open and communally drank from the champagne bottles, and cheered lustily for everyone. That first night, our destination of choice was the Honest Lawyer. It was quite a rush having the bouncers check my ID, and let me in without a second glance. There, we relaxed, played pool, pinball and Guitar Hero, and chatted it up. Afterwards, a large group of us went to Tally Ho's, the traditional after pub eatery for Mac students. Their fries were surprisingly tasty.

Friday night...that was the first of the crazy, crazy nights. We had over 350 people in attendance, and were flawless. Even when the unexpected happened, like a laptop prop breaking on stage, the cast rolled with it and improvised amazingly. Once again, champagne, vodka as well, and then off to 1280! Except of course, that being 1280, we realized after about 1 beer that it was fucking lame and all went to West End, where we found a large group of fellow engineers, admirers and redsuits. One delicious pitcher of Rickard's White later, and a rather delayed fries, I headed up the street, where I heard there was an engineering kegger. Turns out, it was the second half on Eng <3, where Mac Eng visits Carleton and later Carleton visits Mac. Getting my hat stolen by a flight-suit, taking  their super frosh to Gino's, almost losing him, led to a very fun, very late night.

The next day I woke up around 2, slightly disoriented but otherwise OK. Once I was fully awake, I packed my stuff and headed to the bus stop to meet my fellow Thespians (what a fun word :P). Stupidly of me however, I thought it was warmer then it was, and went in a t shirt. After some tasty fish and chips from Swiss Chalet and the discover that Will has a bottomless stomach, we walked over to the theatre, which was where I first noticed it was getting a bit cold out. Before we knew it, the time had come, and we watched in amazement as more, and more, and more, and more people bored into the theatre. Redsuits, flight-suits, hell even faculty were coming to see the last night of 'The greatest Eng Musical yet!' Around 7:55, with a line stretching around the corner, we started to get nervous. At eight, when the show was supposed to start, one of us ran back to let them know we couldn't start yet, there are too many people. We didn't end up with everyone in and get started until 8:15, fifteen minutes just to get all the extra people in their seats. Over 500 people showed up, the theatre was all but maxxed out. Of course, since it was the last night, we couldn't let the cast just act without pulling a few pranks. Between crew and band, there was no scene left untouched, from laptops with penises, to shirtless guitar solos, to Rastafarian head-banging. After what was undoubtedly the best show we put on, it was time to tear down the set. The majority of props got thrown out, although some, like the massive, fully operational, full scale, castle gate took a little more work then others. I did however end up with a prop weapon to take back to the cast party with me...on the bus. Walking to the bus with a bunch of the others, I was shivering really badly, it had gotten real cold out, and I was in a t-shirt still. Taking pity on me, my wonderful friend Anelise, took pity on me and gave me her blazer jacket. This of course, combined with my raccoon hat, made me look like a girl from behind.
Waiting for the bus, a very intoxicated man walked past us. Apparently taking offence, or admiring, Kevin's Rastafarian hat, he shattered a pane of glass in a Bell phone booth, and kept on walking without a trace, leaving us to go, waaaaaaaaaaaaaattt??????????????????????????? Then another large group of musicalees showed up, looked at us disbelievingly, and then got on the bus. That bus driver was probably very freaked out. When a group of around 30 university students get on your bus, some carrying instruments, others carrying props, and all talking what seems to be nonsense, that bus driver probably couldn't wait for us to get off. I soon reached the cast party (still wearing Anelise's girly jacket), and proceeded to start drinking. Eventually Anelise showed up and I reluctantly took it off again, but soon afterwards I won the Hebrew Hammer Award, and a giant protractor :P. Later in that drunken night, a bunch of crew decided we wanted Gino's! Unfortunately, Anelise didn't give me a jacket, so that time I had to go cold. So yet again, walking around Hamilton at night, in a raccoon hat, t-shirt, and dress pants. Other highlights of the night include being told that from now on, when this unnamed person saw me, she would think of a raccoon, regardless of whether or not I was wearing the hat. We also discovered that even small girls can do long kegstands, if they got experience. Then we decided to have pancakes. So we charged off to the Pancake House, me wearing Anelise's girly trenchcoat this time. It was hilariously awesome. We got there around six, and standing out in the rain/hail, were annoyed to discover that even though its supposed to be open from 6, they wouldn't let us in until around 6:40. Lazy asses. Will was not there to finish our uneaten food unfortunately, as he was back at the house looking after George, who was completely done. Soon, I was headed back to the house alone to grab my stuff, wearing Anelise's one other jacket, a sweater with flowers on it. Once there, I walked back with Rob, Will, and another person my fogged mind can't recall. Rob was carrying a pink bazooka with one puke covered shoe in it, and was wearing a garbage bag on one foot, Will was carrying a giant SlapChop we made, and I not only had a girly sweater on, but was carrying a giant bazooka. We looked from person to person, and, realizing just how completely and utterly crazy hilariously awesome this was, proceeded to burst out laughing, because really, this past week had been one of those weeks, the ones you never think are really going to happen, until they do...Oh, and by the way, this Friday, after I write a math test, I'm going to a real, legit, toga party.

I Want an Adventure

Midnight is long gone. I have a midterm tommorow (technically today), and on wednesday (technically tommorow). I have drawings to do, physics problems, I don't understand enough of my math, I need to interview random students about beer (loooong story), I'm going to be stroking people's beards friday (looooonger story) and I have roughly two months left of school.



But I'm not thinking about any of that right now.



I want an adventure. I don't mean I suddenly want to discover a hidden underground society or some bullshit (though that would be sweet), I want to do something different with my life. Travel across Europe, visit the Arctic, learn to blacksmith, anything, anything to make sure my life doesn't drown in a wave of mundaneness and routine, one last hurrah before I begin the long trudge through life. I want an adventure, something I can one day tell my kids stories about, a time which leaves me with friends I can call from around the world, something which shows me that we aren't just boring little automatons clunking from wind-up to wind-down.

But the worst thing about all this want is that I know its temporary. I know that the majority of it is just frustration over the workload, over all of life's little problems, and that tomorrow this burning need will be gone.

Still...if right now, someone came up to me to propose doing something so awesomely and incredibly outrageous, if, to quote the less famous Captain Jack, "That special kind of Doctor" was to come by, right now, I'd accept in a flash.

Too bad really. Life is a great adventure, and I am incredibly fortunate to be able to do what I do, and I love pretty much every aspect of my life, so I don't think I will complain.

Still...I want an adventure

-Mysterious Penguin