mikefotis.com

Happy Monday!

1. Well, preview week has come and gone for another BNW show. How To Make Love Like A Minnesotan opens this Friday after one more preview on Thursday. What was learned after this weekend? For one thing, we learned that the show is very funny. We also learned that sketches about my penis suing me for damges aren’t funny. If you missed the show this weekend, you missed a sketch that was so confusing to audiences that it has now become legendary. Nice job, Fotis.

2. I am currently reorganizing my office/dining room. Yesterday was spent storing scripts in actual boxes. These aren’t just boxes, they are plastic prisons and actually look pretty bad ass.  DVD’s were moved and important papers were put in their own special plastic prison. Today, I’m heading to several office-y type stores to a.) buy a bookshelf with doors and b.) maybe buy a new desk. I like the desk I have, but it’s a monstrosity, and I could probably go smaller. Also, I could use a desk lamp.

Mike

Happy Wednesday!

1. I’m back in Minneapolis.  It is what it is.  I should state that I like winter. I like snow and I like cold. But these temps are bullshit and they’re crushing my easily crushed soul.

2. Right now I’m staring at my living room. I hate everything about it. It’s cluttered. And the walls are a tannish brown. That needs to change. It’s crushing my easily crushed soul. I’ve also discovered something about myself recently. If I’m going to maintain my sanity,  the surfaces of my home can have nothing on them. I need empty table tops. Also, I need a workspace that I can “close” when I’m not working.  Like a giant cabinet or something.  When I see the clutter that is currently covering my desk, I want to scream.

That is all for today.

Mike

Happy Monday!

1. It happened yesterday, an unseasonably warm fall day. As I got into my car around 6pm, I noticed that the sun was going down.  In that moment I fell into a despair so complete and powerful that I fought tears the entire drive to Improv A Go Go (6 miles of tear fighting, for those of you keeping count). The bad part? This is early for me. Usually I don’t fall into despair until Daylight savings. Uh oh.

I’ve got the seasonal glums and the only way to fight it is to dive face first into a pile of unfinished projects. Keep moving. Gotta keep moving. I’ve found that you fight seasonal depression the same way you survive being lost in the wild. Keep moving. At all costs. Trust your instincts. Also, buy a hoodie you don’t need because it’s warm and makes you feel good.

Right now, I’m listening to Lucinda Williams. By doing this, I am in a sense, bringing this all onto myself.

2. The good thing about these blues is that they might help me get some house stuff done. I still have a bathroom to paint, bedrooms to fix up and a front porch that’s beginning to look like a set piece for a movie about junkyards.

3. The cook book continues to move forward.

Mike

Happy Wednesday!

1. What happens when your fearless blogger is unable to sleep and is trying to keep himself distracted? He gives his blog a new theme. Installing themes on WordPress is easy enough, you just hit a button and bam! Almost everything is done for you. But enough goes wrong after hitting that button that there’s usually about 2 hours of tinkering to do before everything looks ok. And within that two hours, there’s a good chance your sanity might slip away. Anyhoo, I hope you like it. It’s essentially EXACTLY the same as the old theme.

2. The Living Room, minus some artwork, is done! The computer room, minus a fold down wall mounted table, is done! Today I move onto the kitchen. The kitchen will change the most dramatically over the next few days. When I’m done, the walls will be a new color, there will be a splash board behind the sink and the cabinets will have new hardware. And the thing is, none of that is as daunting or as annoying as the reorganizing and throwing away of stuff that went into the living room and computer room.

It’s frustrating to know that if you were to walk into my home today after visiting say, a week ago, that you might not even notice what I did in those two rooms. But believe me, I did a lot. Oh God, I did.

Ok, I’m off to Home Depot.

Mike

Happy Thursday!

1. As I type this, The Traveling Wilbury’s song, Handle Me With Care, is pumping through the sound system of my local coffee shop. AWESOME, and a huge step up from the bone snapping country music that used to be played.

2. According to Dominic Papatola, the TC theater scene is shamefully “dark” during the RNC, missing a chance to highlight our vibrant art scene for a bunch of people who couldn’t care less about such things. He went out of his way to mention all the theaters that are “dark” this weekend, and touted the virtues of Penumbra’s, Fences. Of course, Dominic failed to mention in his article the ONE show playing right now that directly addresses the RNC and the upcoming election.

So I’ll do it for you, Dominic. It’s called The Lion, The Witch and The War Hero. It’s playing at the BNW on Fridays and Saturdays.  Let me be clear. I’m not asking for free advertising from you. Ok, in a way I am, but that’s not my intention with this little diatribe. You’ve already given us a nice review, so really what else could I ask for?  I’m not sure to be honest, but my muddled point is, of course you’re going to write about whatever shows you like in your columns, but given the context of what you were writing about, your omission seems almost glaring.  That is all. Have a nice day.

3.  There’s a woman outside the coffee shop that looks EXACTLY like Al Franken.  Don’t be surprised if Norm Coleman uses her in a commercial very soon.  A commercial about how Al Franken might actually be a woman, with a tag line saying, “What else are you hiding, Al?”

4. The projects are coming along very slowly. The major thing I’ve learned is that things take much longer without the appropriate tools. You see, I am always convinced I can do things my way. Floor work has taught me a harsh, harsh lesson in that I am unable to will solid materials into the shape I want them to be.

Despite the fact I’m doing no work in my living room, it has turned into a war zone. Tools, plates, screws and Dolphin bones litter the room. It’s crazy. One day it’ll all be done. That’ll be a good day.

Mike