HELLO IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME

Hello people. I'm sorry to leave you high and dry for so long but I've been capital B-U-S-Y. I got the job I really wanted that I didn't think I'd get and started work pretty much immediately, aka last Monday, after finding out I won my interview on Thursday the week before. I moved to Indianapolis right away and couch surfed with my lovely pal, Blake, for about a week before landing the most perfect place with my friend Michelle from college.

I met Michelle through the house party circuit but we became close when her ex-boyfriend (they're still friends) and I formed a band called, The Twolips with a few friends the summer before I moved to Boston. So far, we're magically on the same page about most persnickety roommate things and I'm having so much fun. Our pups get along and our house is p much an art/plant studio. Come over.

The new job is really something. I'm writing nearly every day--hence I'm not writing here, but I swear I'll balance things out eventually. Last week, I got to write a sweet profile for the Indiana Music Educators Association after I interviewed the Indiana Superintendent of Public Education, who, by the way, is a real life Leslie Knope. Indiana is lucky to have her. I'll post an image of the interview when it's released to the public. eek! Today, I'm going with my coworker, Amber, to North Central High School to talk to students about a project they did for the Caroline Symmes Cancer Endowment. Thanks to the confidence my new coworkers seem to have in my ability, I've been able to pretty much get my hands in everything. Yesterday, they made me the pulse contact for four of our clients and I'm excited to launch all this new work.

This week, I'd like to start planning for my coordinator position in our Green Room space. Last night, I attended my first Indy Word Lab where we featured, playwright: Elise Lockwood and every attendee drafted a quick play based on her prompt. I'm posting mine below. Look out peeps, more awesome stuff like this coming your way, very very soon.

A MINI PLAY ABOUT RECYCLING

Mom: Zaaaane! Dinnnnnner!

Zane sighs and closes his computer. We see the screen in the pause of his breath and he’s been researching recycling in Goshen. He goes to the dining room.

Zane: Mom, I took this one class in college last semester. We talked about conservation and I really thought for once about how much crap we use that we don’t need.

Mom: Speak for yourself. We’re eating leftovers tonight.

Zane: [Gestures to the Saran wrap on the counter] Yeah but do you really have to wrap it in plastic? I bought you those nice Pyrex containers for Christmas.

Mom: So you’d rather I just drain the oceans?

Zane: Water is easier to recycle. Seals choke on that stuff, Ma. Come one.

Mom: [Takes his plate away and wraps it with the used Saran from their leftovers.] Someone can eat on their own time when they’re feeling nicer. How about that?

Zane: Fine. I’m going to The Spring. Don’t wait up.

Mom: [Shovels a large bite into her mouth and yells without chewing] I can’t heaaaaaar you!

Zane walks to the local watering hole, noticing there are no recycling bins on the street. At the Constant Spring he runs into his regular drinking buddy, Stew.

Stew: Hey man. Got a lighter?

Zane: [Lights up and passes his Bic to Stew. The two talk and smoke in front of the bar.] How’re you and Alice? Things still going South?

Stew: South for Winter, like the birds. She’s a bitch, man. I don’t know why I decided to date a New York City girl. Nothing here makes her happy. Nothing’s chic enough. Blah blah.

Zane: Yeah she’s pretty cultured. I guess. [He isn’t really listening.]

A tall red head named Chelsea strolls up and bums a cig. The guys have seen her around and don’t know what to make of the sudden attention. Stew, ever confident, assumes she’s coming on to them while Zane looks at his feet and fumbles his words.

Stew: Hey Chelsea—long time, never see. What’s crackin?

Chelsea: Ew man, don’t use clichés on me. And stop humping my leg. Just kidding.

Zane laughs but it sounds like a burp so he covers it with a cough.

Stew: Chill bra. But really, you wanna hang for this show tonight? I have blunt in my car for after, nah mean?

Zane: Cut the colloquial fuckery, Stew. You sound like tool.

Chelsea: Fuckery. Fuckery. Buggering fuckery. [She continues muttering the phrase as the three finally walk into the bar.]

The music is loud and Zane can’t stop thinking about recycling bins. He scoped out behind the bar and didn’t see any telltale green. Chelsea and Stew are talking but it doesn’t seem to be going well for either party so he buys three Miller High Lifes and tries to rescue his friend.

Zane: [He waits for a beat in their conversation about Lars Von Trier] Do you guys recycle? I feel like it’s really hard to recycle around here.

Chelsea: You know I wish I did. I feel guilty like once a day. I reuse my Starbucks cups sometimes? Does that count? I only shower like once a week. [She laughs but the boys can’t tell if she’s kidding.]

Stew: Dude, we’re all gonna die anyway. What’s a little trash?

Zane: I keep trying to get my mom to use the damn Pyrex dishes I gave her but she’s like the Go Go Gadget of Saran wrap. Just loves the stuff.

Chelsea: Go Go Gadget. Go Go Gadget. I like that. [Zane wonders if she’s on drugs.]

The band takes a break and the trio decides to smoke out. They go to the parking lot and pile into Stew’s beater. Stew pulls down his visor to reveal a blunt and lights up.

Zane: You know Goshen doesn’t even have recycling bins on the street and I didn’t see any in The Spring just now. It peeves me.

Stew: Peeves is a gay word, dude.

Chelsea: No I like it. Peeeeeeves. It PEEVES me. I’d be peeved too. Wait what did you say?

Zane: It’s like no one even cares about the environment! On Monday everyone was posting all day how great the weather was and it’s like no. It’s not fucking great. It’s global warming.

Chelsea: That shit is sick. I hate global warming. We’ll be in some Mad Max nightmare soon.

Zane: I know. Me too. I saw this guy on the internet that manages to produce zero waste. I was like, I could do that.

Stew: You can’t do that, douche. You smoke. What you gonna do with all them b-u-t-t-s, butts? Huh?

Zane pulls the cigarette from his mouth and looks it dead on before flicking it to the street.

Zane: That’s it. That’s the last one.

They get out of the car and head back to the show.

Zane: [Stops in front of the entrance and looks around.] I think I’m just gonna walk home. I’m too high for this shit.

Stew: I paid for this so I’m staying. Suit yourself, man. See ya, Saturday for Kid Cudi right?

Zane: Yeah yeah whatever.

Chelsea: Wait up, Zane. I could really dig a ride.

Zane: I don’t have a car! My mom’s house is like a block away.

Chelsea: It’s cool. Just walk me as far as the river and I can take it from there.

They start walking and before long, Chelsea is brushing her hand against his and walking too close for comfort. He figures she wants a screw.

Zane: I just can’t fucking believe this city sucks so much at recycling.

Chelsea: Shut up man. You’re on and on about this recycling garbage and geez I’m over it. I was gonna make it your lucky night but you aren’t so lucky anymore.

She walks ahead and Zane lights a cigarette. The cellophane falls off his case and he doesn’t hear it land in the bushes over the sound of his inner monologue.