On to the second half of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: we had a lot of people drop out at the last minute somehow, so there was more plot doubling.*

* I have signed up to be an understudy/observer for the next play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," but it was pointed out today that if people keep dropping out....

* Lysander has a large hat collection, which he had stacked up.
* Philostrate's cat was lounging all over the camera during "call time," and people were amused that the character was being "played" by a cat. "We're just going to hit record so we can have some cat pictures here..." Also, "the kitty is going to get the best reviews."
* The lion costume ended up being a big yellow towel thrown over the guy's (I forget his given name, Matt maybe?). head. He also ended ended up playing Snug and Demetrius, which ended up with him quickly switching headwear to throw in Demetrius's one line. As for Demetrius, he had a fedora, which led to Claire saying, "I feel like Demetrius should be wearing a fedora."
* Bottom: "I have my ass head at the ready." He was using a luchador mask for that, as it turned out.
* Lysander: "Do you have a bladed instrument at the ready?" Demetrius had some kind of object that literally spelled out the word "Dagger." (Sadly, he missed the moment to brandish it.) It was also mentioned that he had a katana, but "I think the katana is too long to fit in the screen properly."
* Hermia, who has had her hair up for most of the show, let it down and messed it up with twigs from outdoors as the play went on . That was great.
* Claire/Puck realized that we had nobody for Moonlight, played it herself, and whipped out the phone.
* I pulled out my wall and I got the responses on chat of "God I love Jen!" (I'm hitting it off with the girl playing Mustardseed) and "BEST WALL EVER" from Hermia and "THE BEST" from Peaseblossom. After my bit was over, I literally chucked the wall offscreen.
* OH MY GOD, I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO ROBERT'S THISBE OUTFIT AND I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. He had on a girl's hat, a blonde wig, and FACE MASK BOOBIES. And great girl voice and overacting, especially during the stabbing scene.

We did have some Technical Difficulties going on during act 5, unfortunately, which I hope can be edited out. Plus I forgot to have my mike on when I started doing the Wall. (I'll be the neighbor was surprised when I started doing it, as I was Rather Loud to talk around the sign.) Sigh. Again, hopefully editing will take care of that stuff, since we redid the scene a few times.

Anyway, it was great fun, I'm sorry it's over, but I shall hang about for any other shows Claire wants to put on!

So that was the fun part of the day. Otherwise I was kind of bummed out because it was Easter and I was stuck home alone. I was supposed to be in Napa with Mom, Roger, Evan, and Stephanie today... It wasn't as bad as St. Patrick's Day, mind you, but still, it's another holiday kinda wrecked by this shit. Instead, I did things like celebrate the fact that I literally haven't gone to a grocery store since March 12.

A quote from a chat channel today: "Off to my big social event of the week, picking up a few groceries. It's like a masquerade ball, only without the glamour or mystery."

I watched more tarot videos. Another tarot reader: DO NOT TELL ANYONE THAT THREE MONTHS FROM NOW THEY WILL BE TRAVELING OR DINING IN A RESTAURANT!!!!!! Seriously?!

I got an email announcing the fall theater season at a company. I just felt like deleting it because I don't have hopes that we're having a theater season for probably the next year or two these days.

This is my Easter basket, which I had to do myself from last year's leftovers. I had one leftover peanut butter egg, which turned out to be still good to eat at least. I wish I'd bought Easter candy before. Not that I don't have candy around, mind you, I did bust out a chocolate orange, but still.

Today was my designated Mandatory Day To Go Outside, which I shall have to do every two weeks at least to keep my car battery running (Mom told me Roger's battery died because he didn't do that on one of his cars). I did the following:

(a) Took out the trash. Thanks for leaving the bins open so I didn't have to touch them!

I found another witch hat out by the Dumpster! Even though I am doing next to nothing, it amuses/shocks me when I am still finding signs of things, and that happened. I also found a slight hole in my sweats and it was...shaped like a heart. Hah.

(b) Picked up my mail out of the mailbox. I ended up getting 3 out of 4 things I've ordered lately (the fourth is a book that hasn't come out yet), so I've got presents to open on my birthday even if I know what they are, at least. My DVD set, my card set, and my Remington Steele DVD set. I disposed of the packaging after the smaller stuff had sat in the mail box for 24 hours. The game was dropped off at my door a few hours later, so it's still sitting in cardboard quarantine by the door for 24 hours until I get rid of that.

(c) I had to drive to drop off my temperature scarf in a dropoff box. I wonder who the hell is picking these things up and mailing them when I assume most of the world isn't working.

(d) I had to drive the car for ten miles so it won’t die. I got on a deserted back freeway and then U-turned around to go back home at the last exit to go back home. I am trying to drive the bare minimum of ten miles so I don't have to go buy gas again for awhile. I'm annoyed I have to waste gas on driving around doing nothing because I can go nowhere, but *shrug* what can you do. In the event of emergency, it's not like I can get a jump start or call an ambulance.

(e) Before getting out of the car, I wrote all the checks for the bills I have to pay via check so I could put all of the bills out in the box in one go and not have to go out later. I literally only have two charges on my "gas" designed credit card: the last time I bought gas on March 10 and my phone bill. Also, my PG&E bill is about the same as it ever was (usually around $25), which is maybe surprising, except mostly I just sit around in the dark during the day because I've turned into a vampire, so I guess I'm not draining the power or anything.

There's not a lot of people outside, and most aren't wearing masks either--I believe I only saw two. Few people driving. I suspect the stoplights in the campus region are now set to either "perpetual green" or "perpetual red" because I sat around at the last one when no other cars were around and nothing was changing, so I finally gave up and drove through because no one was around to hit either. The stoplights weren't changing until I drove back into the town region.

Since I can't just immediately wash wash wash my designated outdoor clothes every time I leave, I am just throwing them in a bag by the door because someone told me it takes about three days for germs to ... whatever... off people's clothes. Okay, fine, that's the best I can do. I wore a towel as a mask and had to breathe carefully so as to not steam up my glasses (which I have not been wearing a home, but still have to wear outside for long distance reading/driving). This was not the most fun ever, but could have been worse, I guess. I kept it on ever while driving in my car alone.

I wish I could enjoy outside without worry--it was a beautiful day and nice weather out--but I can't be outside any more without thinking of what could happen. Some idiots walked by me while I was trying to take stuff out of my car and they just strolled on right by close to me like nothing was happening, the fuckers. Hell, I had my patio door open for a bit when I got home and then I found out that my neighbor was actually outside on the patio....you guessed it, COUGHING AGAIN. I thought of the whole "droplets fly 27 feet" thing and had to shut my door. I can't even go out there any more.

I walked around my house for 10,000 steps according to the phone pedometer, which normally can be done in 90 minutes, except the pedometer does not register so well when you have to stop and turn around a lot. I did it for over two hours, mostly because my mom called for the last 25 of it or so. Roger was completely unable to get ham the night before Easter at 9:30 at night, but he did get steaks. Mom still had no interest in talking to relatives. It was all very weird. I guess she watched my video, but all she wanted to know was where Scott was (not in this episode) and then I had to explain which one was Robert. Not a word about me. That figures.

I'm very happy about my mom having a boyfriend and being emotionally occupied and not helicopter parenting at me or being alone in a hoarder house. But seriously, today I am feeling a bit family neglected. Thought about actually bothering to contact my other relatives and then was all "why the fuck bother, they don't care." Which is just wrong at Easter, but true. I did text a "Missing My Peeps" photo around to various people and heard back from Jim and Robert and Ashley, at least. I tried to get drunk tonight on $2 pink wine, but for some weird reason I sometimes start having my jaw hinges hurt after drinking and hoo boy did that kick in tonight. No fair, not fun.

I am still trying to think of cross stitch sampler ideas.
* Distraction is a girl's best friend--I think I am going to do this one.
* Something about that quote above about going to the grocery store is like a masquerade ball?
* Who would have thought that going to the grocery store could be life or death?...well, that's hella depressing.
* I have signs on my front door saying "Don't go outside. There are people out there." and "I went outside today and it was very peopley. I do not recommend it. Stay inside." Those used to be funny jokes. I could do those as a sampler, I suppose.

I needed some distraction tonight and got some. Ryen did a livestream of his corgi doing an Easter egg hunt, so that was the most Easter part of the day. I also watched the Boulder Comedy Show online tonight, in which a guy is covering himself in plastic/trash bags. "The World Health Organization endorses this method," and "If you're not taking some screenshots of this, you're missing out on some fucking magic." I took some screenshots of this for Zoom Safari, should it ever catch on.

Quotes from the show;
"Enjoy your pandemic, everybody!"
"Do you guys miss doing things? I forgot how much I liked things."
"I turned 28 during the quarantine, which I think doesn't count."
"I got some snail mail today. I hate it because it's so little and hard to read."
"Costco beer! Because we're all fucked. I might as well go out with some Costco in my mouth."
"Instead of 'call for a good time,' put 'call if you're having a bad time.'"
"Give a man on acid a riddle, he's going to have an existential crisis."
"I'm sorry about my facial hair, but this is how I quarantine, like a Spanish pirate."
"This might be the best apocalypse of all time."
"Say what you want about Rush Limbaugh, but lung cancer deserves better."
"3:30 p.m. is the new 9 a.m."
"I haven't seen my car in 3 weeks. Haven't seen my wallet, for that matter."

And then I watched the rest of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, which went on forever so that'll be page 2.

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