Well, that blew up in my face

Hello all....so.....yeah, I said I wasn't going to use Twitter, but I did, and the worst happened - it turns out I love it! I don't even care about Facebook anymore, and I follow celebrities, which makes me feel like they are my friends. I'm not a stalker, I swear.

You can find me at http://www.twitter.com/alisonbeach

Unfortunately, there were some problems with using Twitter. Being involved online definitely has its downside, and some people started to read way more into my Twitterings than was really there. To clear the air, I would never use Twitter to start and/or fuel a fire. So, just to be on the safe side, I had to block a bunch of folks and you have to put in a special request if you want to read my updates (which I assure you, probably aren't really worth reading.)

So, plus side, it's entertaining and downside, it's just one more venue for you and your comments to be misconstrued. Worth the risk? To be determined....

Update on all things overdue

So, I'm a little behind in blogging, but here's a quick rundown of things:

1 - Spent most of May in Indiana helping my mom and dad out with some stuff. I got my bridesmaid's dress for my little sister's wedding while I was there, got to hang out with Justin, Michelle, Cindy, and Matt, and had an all around good time.

2 - Jon just got back from a week long trip in Colorado with the boys where they did all things manly.

3 - Started my job at Suffolk Superior Courthouse, where I am interning for a judge. It's completely fascinating and reinstates my interest in the law, which was severely waning after second year of law school.

4 - I'm in the process of applying for the US Air Force JAG Corps.

5 - Still no word on where we are going on vacation in August!!

6 - Went to my mother-in-law's 1940s themed 60th birthday party and had a great time!! Dressed up in a swing dress and Jon wore his grandfather's old uniform.

7 - My folks are coming to Boston next week to spend the 4th of July holiday with us, so that should be pretty awesome, cause Independence started here, people!!

8 - I played poker last night and did very very well, which is a change from my usual performance of losing all my chips on the blinds.

9 - I finally finished our guest room, and even though it went through a mega-purple phase where it looked more like a brothel, now it's super lovely.

10 - I got cast in a musical with an actual NAMED role (I'll be playing Ermengarde in Hello Dolly!) which is very exciting.

And that's pretty much the top ten at the moment!

An Audition Story with a Happy Ending!

I know, I know, most of my auditions stories are disastrous, but stay with me, folks!

So, Hello Dolly! is one of my favorite musicals of all time. Classic, great music, fantastic costumes, I love it! And when the Footlight Club (America's Oldest Community Theater and also where I performed last summer) put up a notice, I was game. I didn't really practice singing too much, just picked a song I was comfortable with and went for it.

I got there on Sunday, and it was the third audition for the show that they had (they did two rounds the day before) and there were still tons of people there! So, hopes were kinda diminished. We sang only in front of the casting committee, which I like, because I'm not the strongest singer and it depresses me to hear everyone else sing so much better than me. I went in and sang in front of the folks, and did ok. I was nervous, so I had a little breath trouble, but it gets easier each time, and I stayed on key well, and felt overall pretty good about it. Next was dance, which is usually my strongest of the three threats. The dance number they taught us was super-cute and pretty brisk, but I just put on my cutest little smile and did all the steps the best I could. I was on the end, so I wasn't sure the casting committee really even noticed me. So, I was starting to feel kinda "enh" about the whole audition.

Next, they announced that call-backs would be held in an hour, and I was on the list! I couldn't believe it, but there I was. So, I went on an errand with a friend and returned for readings. And then...what happens to me at every audition happened again. They seemed to forget about me. I only was interested in two roles: Minnie and Ermengarde. The third or fourth girl to read read for Minnie and she was AMAZING to the point that I couldn't be any better than that. A few others read for Ermengarde and did pretty good, but because I had watched the movie the day before, I knew that Ermengarde was supposed to be crying during that scene. So, I prepared to read and cry, but they never called me. I waited and waited...and waited. Then, a casting committee member in my row got the choreographer's attention and nonchalantly pointed at me. Then, I started to feel a little bitter, like I was only going to be asked to read as an afterthought because they forgot about me. And, sure enough, I was the next (and last) to read. First, I read for Minnie and did fine, but not as good as the other girl. Then, they let me read for Ermengarde. And, though I hate fake crying, I knew that it was do or die, since they forgot about me in the first place. So, I cried my little heart out and everyone laughed a lot. I left feeling that I would be in the ensemble for sure, but feeling good about how I read.

Sure enough, that night, I got a voice mail offering me Ermengarde (!) so I guess the do or die crying routine really worked! It's my first ever named role in a musical, because usually my singing automatically puts me in the ensemble. Now, Ermengarde doesn't sing by herself, so I'm not thinking that my singing got me the role, but she's a fun, silly character that my acting was able to pull off well, so I'm really really excited.

The show runs November 6-21 on Saturdays and Sundays, if you're in the Boston area!

Read this immediately!

Wow - read this book right now, and tell me how you liked it. It's one of those knock-you-on-your-ass books. I read all 384 pages in TWO HOURS, it was that good. And it's going to be a series!!!!

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Merry Christmas 4 years ago!!

So, back in 2005, I was in Iraq and did a holiday greeting that I don't think ever got aired! But, googling myself, I found it!!!

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

I love me some technology. When I was in 11th grade, I went to Indiana State University to a mini-medical school (fast forward to now - not a doctor) and we got an email address and access to the internet. I was blown away. I stayed up late in chat rooms just genuinely amazed that you could talk to someone on the other side of the world.

Over the years, I've had countless email accounts, Friendster, Multipy (which I adored but it didn't catch on) MySpace, Facebook...and now there's Twitter. I don't really get Twitter - it's kinda like having a Facebook status, but without the rest of Facebook. And do people have it up all the time? It must be awesome, because every celebrity is twitting about, being all twittery. Or is it a-twitter? I had never even BEEN to a twitter page until I found out one of my brothers-in-law had Twitter. Wow. So, I checked out ANOTHER brother-in-law - also tweeting! So, I started typing in random celebrities, relatives, friends, etc. But I feel old - it's like they are having conversations with people sometimes, but they are only one-sided and public for everyone to see.

I just don't get it! So, I'm opting not to tweet. Even though I'm off of Friendster, Multiply and MySpace and even though I spend way too much time on Facebook, I can't bring myself to do it. Don't worry, I'll still be stalking YOUR Twitter page, but I will not be a-twitter about Twitter.

Also, the creepy bird with the empty white eyeballs freaks me out.

I'm not stalking, I swear

Sooo, I love to read people's blogs. I couldn't care less about political opnion blogs, but I like to read what people are doing, people are thinking. You know, kinda like my blog.

I put the blogs that I follow regularly over to the right. Some are people I know, some are people I know but don't talk to, some are people I know but haven't met, and some are people I don't know and have never met!

Do you have a blog? Please allow me to stalk you, too!!!