Life, Fannishness, and Thespic Infatuation

We finally got the tree decorated on Saturday (Dec. 11). We also went to see a little community theater production of A Christmas Carol in Washington, Va., about half an hour away. Their local community theater has converted an old church into a theater space. I imagine the rooms that are now closed in as the sound and light booths might at one time have been a choir loft. Maybe. The only source of heat was a wood burning stove (thank you, Mr. Franklin), and there was someone sitting beside it feeding it before patrons started arriving. They had approximately 104 folding chairs set up (no pews), so it was a tight squeeze. It was quintessential community theater--the acting was serviceable, but you could tell everyone was having a great time, and the community got a great kick out of it. It was all very quaint and enjoyable.

( I miss my home theater. )

We have a light dusting of snow this morning. It probably won't stick around long, but at least it's an indication that Christmas is in the air. It's strange to be hearing on the radio how other counties are under winter advisories and schools are on delays and such. I look out the window and think, "This is hardly anything, let alone worth a school delay." It must be for fog or visibility or something.

Last call for Christmas cards. I expect to be in the office by myself today, so I'm going to try to get those finished--or at least well started.

The forsythia is downright amazing, the trees are blossoming, and the daffodils are in bloom.

There are things about Virginia that drive me a little nuts, but I'll say this: Spring is amazing.

(And VDoT knows how to landscape their highways.)

I had my first taste of moonshine today.

Belmont Distillery, a legal whiskey and moonshine producing distillery, is just up the road a piece from us, and today we finally got around to checking the place out. The owner is a hoot, quite a character, and he gives you the nickel tour (for free). They also just recently (or relatively recently) got licensed to sell their wares in their gift shop. Geo bought a bottle of the 100 proof (50% alcohol) moonshine, called Virginia Lightening. They also make Virginia whiskey, called Kopper Kettle.

He opened the bottle this afternoon, and I had a sip of his shot before he downed said shot. There's a reason it's used for "medicinal" purposes. It will knock. you. out. It warms the tummy, too. I imagine it would do well for treating wounds in a pinch. Probably good as an accelerant if need be. In short, it's potent, potent stuff.

I've been watching the Smallville DVDs I got recently. Okay, I've been skimming the discs and watching the story line in which Jensen plays a part.

Jason Teague is adorable. Well, for the first half of the season, anyway. And romantic. Unless he's whammied out on day-glo green sports drink. Then he's kinda scary.

I realize Jason kinda goes off the deep end in the second half of the season (which I'm getting into now). And it's really weird (and silly) that I, knowing that he left SV for to be on SPN, now want to watch Jensen's work in chronological order . . . which means starting over at the beginning of S1 SPN. Um, no. No time for that.

While most people might not think it that big a deal, I'm tickled that Jensen got to work with the likes of Jane Seymour. I house managed when she came to the PAC as part of the public library's speaker series, and though I did not get to meet her myself, she was pretty darn awesome. Very interesting and personable. And she had such a good time talking and answering audience questions that we 'bout had to haul her bodily off the stage. :-) Also, I remember first seeing her when she played Serena (Boxy's mom and Apollo's wife) on the original BG back when I was but a lass.

Also, John Glover, whom I don't know a whole lot about, but who I've always gotten the impression is a pretty heavy hitter and quite the coup when a show can cast him. (Or maybe I just think that because Geo and JT once thought that he would be perfect for a roll in one of their movies.)

Speaking of SPN, WIaWSNB continues to rock. For realz. I'm actually quite sorry they lost Raelle Tucker as a writer. She wrote or co-wrote some of the best eps out there. (I also think maybe she had a thing for Dean-peril, which, you know, kinda puts her and me on the same wavelength in that regard.)

The weather has been uncommonly cool this summer. Nothing like the horrible drought we had two summers ago when I first moved here.

Woke up again this morning to snow. Like, snow. Like, there were three plows out, and I need to shovel the walk, and I wonder if I can make a snowman snow.

Like, "don't come in to work today" snow.

Looking out the back window, I can see the snow on the mountain, and it's really pretty. We're out of birdseed, though, so I hope the birds don't empty the feeders before I can get more.

Maybe today would be a good day to make some homemade bread.

I had a go at some crocheting yesterday. I really need someone to show me how to read patterns, though. Because I'm not at all clear on how to read the things. I'm also wondering if knitting is actually easier. Huh.

I didn't read a book last month, but I got a copy of Angels: God's Secret Agents, by Billy Graham, from kalquessa (and Mr. Bill). So I think that's going to be my next read. Which will either make SPN that much more interesting, or that much more frustrating. We shall see.

Well, apparently Virginia corn hits a growth spurt somewhere along the line. Because there was definitely a lot of "knee high by the Fourth of July." I figure it's all the rain we've been having, and that it must have rained a lot while were were in North Carolina, because I noticed a marked difference when we got back from when we left.

Still the stalks seem unusually thin. Maybe it's a different kind than they plant in Ohio.

Plus, I'm used to walls of corn on either side of a road. (Used to be like riding down a corn tunnel when I'd go bike riding on the country roads where I grew up. And no, I've never seen Children of the Corn.)

I am now officially a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Last week, I received my voter registration card (meaning I've appropriately changed voting locale from Ohio to Viriginia). I said early on that I'd be a real resident of Va when I was able to vote here. Well, now I can.

Still, I'd not call myself a Virginian. Or am I?

Also, I mowed the lawn today. Oy! I love that we have 1.33 acres . . . and the side yard was like mowing the lawn back in Ohio. I did it with the push mower. But the rest of it? I did it with the riding mower, and I'm starting to wonder what the previous owner was thinking planting so many tree starts. Mowing around flowers bed "islands" can be done. But all these little trees? It got to be rather silly.

We are also currently without phone service. Until next Tuesday. Don't know why or what happened, but it's apparently something in the physical line, and the company doesn't know what. Apparently, they'll start at our house and work their way up the line until they find the problem. Thank goodness for cell phones. On the bright side, we haven't gotten any telemarketing calls recently.

Well, then. I think I can finally sit down and share with you the long version of events. Then I'll answer in a separate post whitemartyr's question regarding the on-stage loss of a skirt.

( My first days in Virginia )

( The first Geek Night )

Now I'll go post about my costume malfunction when I was in Harvey.

We made an offer on a house. The seller accepted. I'm really scared.

( Leap from the Lion's Head )

We head back home tomorrow. We're planning to have an open house on Sunday. Thank you for your prayers.

ETA: Many thanks to kalquessa for letting me snag the icon. (I credited it in my userpix, but it occurs to me that I should give her proper props here, too.) :-)