We had another giant work meeting with SuperBigBoss: it sounds like working from home in general may be more of an option? I had a meeting with Lioness and the new girl (quite spicy, these meetings, it was kinda 2 hours of us semi-arguing about what the heck we're supposed to do and why the database is really shitty, but fun!) afterwards and Lioness is all, would you work from home if given the option? I don't think I would actually get to decide it for myself since under normal circumstances my job involves mail and I don't have a commute. I'd be fine with going to the office if safety wasn't an issue, but who the hell knows. Also, I found out Lioness doesn't get flu shots and is kinda objecting(?) at the idea of getting one. I was all, "I had the flu and pneumonia in the same year, I would recommend that you get a flu shot."

I heard from Melinda today! She texted me this morning. Her oldest kid has started junior college, she isn't thrilled with schooling with her other kid, and she's still able to get in contact with her Internet boyfriend, though it's difficult. Here's something I don't get: his job in the UAE LITERALLY DOESN'T PAY HIM MONEY, but he's allowed to take 2 months of vacation time. But he can't quit or else he loses all hopes of visas. I don't even get the logic of these countries right now. But at least he hasn't disappeared, so there's something. I'm glad for her.

I heard from Robert today! (Erm, my usual friend Robert, not referring to the one I was in Robin Hood/As You Like It with...good lord, why didn't I bother to distinguish? SO MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME NAMES AROUND HERE) So that was good. He is hoping that Winters will "have some upcoming online theatre opportunities," I hope so too but no word as yet. I asked about his being AWOL and he said Zoom was being too much and he was checking in on family after all the protests and shootings and needed space to process. He also said he had to think about Zoom performances because "they always sound great, but are pretty exhausting, I'm not totally closed to the idea, though." So....a slight bit of hope there for future resurfacing?

Mom wants to know what I think of her visiting on Monday: I said where the hell am I going to take you if we have to stay outdoors, in fire air (note: it's back to moderate today but might be unhealthy again for the weekend), can't go inside or use the bathroom? I realize you are coming no matter what, but what the hell am I supposed to do with you? God, I hate seeing people in person now. It makes me so sad.

Should I do it?

Kelly has gotten lots of good research ideas for the play, so huzzah.

After work I did another Story Studio workshop. Can't believe it's been 2 weeks since the fires started. I can say that I paid more attention this time in class, as it were. Amy was hosting again and as usual, is a delight.

* "This is how I always am. I wish i could just say I'm somewhat scatterbrained or haven't had coffee, but at this point in the pandemic, this has become the norm. I am a Muppet now."
* One guy told a story about a lobster named Kevin and Amy was mentioning how kids might see a lobster in a tank and go, "Mommy, Mommy, can we have a pet and name him Kevin?"
* The storyteller mentioned something about a "poetry rap battle about who's the strongest Kevin."
* One guy told this very long story about his car that I was finding dull, but she really pinpointed why. "There is no you, and there is no conflict." "I'm going to use this as a teachable moment." "There wasn't any point where i had any feelings. I wasn't traveling a feeling journey with you." Excellent points.
* Another guy told a story about diapering his new baby and "it is not raisins, it is like seaweed green oatmeal." He did it in 5 minutes, causing Amy to say, "if you can bottle your brevity and give it to me intravenously...." She also said, "Give women names, will you?" So many male storytellers don't bother to name women in their stories and it happens so much where she's from, 'it's like a joke."
* I loved this other guy's story about going to acting school at age 40 and being in his first show, "Jury Duty: The Musical." And then the Clintons showed up because their nephew was in the show--and they loved this guy's song. "It's a song about being insane. I'm not even acting." I also related to the beginning of his story, saying that originally he thought "the world doesn't need one more deluded person going after their dream" and he studied computer science and then changed his mind. "Even if I never remotely succeed, it's gotta be better than this.
* Another guy told a story tying his being beaten in Catholic school to being told to, no joke, beat up a magnolia tree (with a baseball bat, lead pipe, whatever you got....) to get it to bloom. I asked Randall later if this is a genuine thing gardeners say and he was all "Not unless you're wacko and have anger issues." Amy found it to be pretty sad. *Amy said her job is to look for the emotional path and the conflict. Good job.
* Irene was back again tonight, so I messaged her the latest news, she was happy to hear it.

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